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From Amazon.co.uk
It’s not one of the higher profile projects for 127 Hours star James Franco and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm. Yet Howl is a movie that deserves not to be overlooked, and one that should find an audience on DVD.
The film is a biopic of Allen Ginsberg, the late American poet whose most famous work, Howl, gives this feature its title. Franco takes the role of Ginsberg, and acquits himself well, although the film is less successful in depicting the obscenity trial that surrounded the work itself. But it does get the story across reasonably well, and it’s when Franco and Hamm in particular are on screen that the film is at its most successful.
Howl offers quite a quiet treatment for a story that arguably deserves more, though, and that’s a surprise. There are some interesting choices made in the execution, but they never fully gel in the way you’d hope. And that leaves you firmly in the company of Franco’s performance for the film’s highlights. Fortunately, he delivers, and once more proves himself as one of Hollywood’s brightest emerging actors. Howl is worth seeing for a few reasons, but Franco is chief among them. --Jon Foster
Product Description
Rob Epstein directs this drama based on the obscenity trial faced by Beat poet Allen Ginsberg following the publication of his poem 'Howl'. Set in 1950s San Francisco, the film stars James Franco as the young Ginsberg, who becomes a lynchpin of the Beat generation, alongside the likes of Jack Kerouac (Todd Rotondi) and Neal Cassady (Jon Prescott). Psychedelic animation sequences illustrating the poem are interspersed with courtroom scenes in which Jake Ehlrich and Ralph McIntosh play the opposing lawyers battling over the slippery question of whether or not the poem has sufficient literary merit to redeem its profane content.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Impressionistic and episodic in structure, this film and James Franco's excellent acting are very effective in bringing to life Allen Ginsberg and the times in which he lived. Not a complete biography, it gives you a very clear taste of his anarchic, loving and very sexy spirit and to want to know more.
I saw him in real life only once, at the very first National Gay Rights March on Washington DC in 1978. Remarkably, a million people attended, and Allen was up there, on stage, reciting a poem in celebration of the event and feeling so jubilant that at times he had to jump up and down with joy! A lovely and loving man, he is truly a son of Walt Whitman in his celebration of life and love regardless of the boundaries set by others.
I saw him in real life only once, at the very first National Gay Rights March on Washington DC in 1978. Remarkably, a million people attended, and Allen was up there, on stage, reciting a poem in celebration of the event and feeling so jubilant that at times he had to jump up and down with joy! A lovely and loving man, he is truly a son of Walt Whitman in his celebration of life and love regardless of the boundaries set by others.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By sander
Format:DVD
A hybrid film about Allen Ginsberg in a mix of documentary style, animation, black & white, monolog and poetry, specifically around the trial of his poems bundled in the book Howl. James Franco has grown into a convincing artistic poet figure here, his strongest role so far. A full 5-stars rating from me :-)
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. A. Fyfe
Format:DVD
This is a short film about the obscentity trial surrounding Howl and contains a dramatised interview of Allen Ginsberg which gives a partial account of Howl came about. As the film progresses passages of Howl are read out (some are annoyingly repeated). There is a "cartoon" which gives a visual interpretation of the poem, which some will like and others will not.
To me, they added little to the poem and in some ways kept the poem in the 50's when it was written, which was a bit unfortunate as great poetry can transcend time and come to have new or different interpretations across the generations. Whilst it is useful to understand the context in which the poem was wrtiien fifty years ago, it is also important to try and engage with the context of the poem as it is being read now, which the "cartoon" ignores entirely. Oddly enough, the extras do not seem to allow you to listen to the whole poem without watching the whole film. An extraordinary failure.
The acting is fine, especially by James Franco who plays Ginsberg very well. The film lacks a dramatic quantity - basically there is no real tension as the conclusion of the film is pretty much evident from the beginning. As such, the film is an adaptation of "historical" account of how Howl came about, and little more. If you are a fan of Ginsberg, or looking for a film about the beat generation, then this isn't a bad film. If you are looking for thrills and high drama for a Saturday night, then this isn't a great film.
To me, they added little to the poem and in some ways kept the poem in the 50's when it was written, which was a bit unfortunate as great poetry can transcend time and come to have new or different interpretations across the generations. Whilst it is useful to understand the context in which the poem was wrtiien fifty years ago, it is also important to try and engage with the context of the poem as it is being read now, which the "cartoon" ignores entirely. Oddly enough, the extras do not seem to allow you to listen to the whole poem without watching the whole film. An extraordinary failure.
The acting is fine, especially by James Franco who plays Ginsberg very well. The film lacks a dramatic quantity - basically there is no real tension as the conclusion of the film is pretty much evident from the beginning. As such, the film is an adaptation of "historical" account of how Howl came about, and little more. If you are a fan of Ginsberg, or looking for a film about the beat generation, then this isn't a bad film. If you are looking for thrills and high drama for a Saturday night, then this isn't a great film.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
I don't really want to write 19 more words. I think Great would have sufficed. Fish trampoline paint poop tunnel!
Published 1 month ago by miss rh alexander
4.0 out of 5 stars
Animated trial
Arftul animated poetic movie ending in a dramatized trial for supposed obscenity of beatnik Allen Ginsberg. One star less for absence of subtitles. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Herman Beerten
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting if you want to learn more
This is an interesting film if you know little about Ginsberg and want to learn more. James Franco's performance is excellent. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Justified Text
5.0 out of 5 stars
BRILLIANT
I was so surprised by the brilliant quality of this film it actually moved me to tears in an absolutely GOOD WAY!
Not many films manage to do that to me these days. Read more
Not many films manage to do that to me these days. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Pagan Ronnie
1.0 out of 5 stars
good enough for the bin
I am sorry but this is one of the worst film that I have ever seen, the plot, if there is one, is all over the place, and the animation sequences were just plain boring and I felt... Read more
Published 17 months ago by lyndon mills
5.0 out of 5 stars
romantic interpretation of the beats
The beats stand in the Romantic tradition, exploring consciousness. This film although very enjoyable tends to over-romanticise the beats' lives,though with somewhat saccharine... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. Robert Marsland
5.0 out of 5 stars
A New Kind of Movie
This film soared any expectations i had of this movie. I love James Franco and am fascinated by the beat generation era but i was a little wary because of the poetry content and... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Miss E. Robb
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent film!
The latest film i bought from amazon was called Houl and this film was really amaizing, specially if you are into the beatnicks and allen ginsberg. Read more
Published 21 months ago by EL
4.0 out of 5 stars
'Howl' and nothing more...
I wasn't bored by the film, nor did I lose interest at any point. But a few friends of mine that came with me to see it did, and I somewhat understand why. Read more
Published on 16 April 2011 by Ben Fellini Rider
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beating controversy
Howl is a masterpiece of the late Allen Ginsberg. Written at a time of socail unrest and change this poem was tried to be banned by the authorities for not having any litrary... Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2011 by law geek
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