I've given up writing reviews for the most part, but this film has been baffled. It's either the biggest piece of crap or absolute genius, and to be completely honest, I'm not sure which.
I knew going in, that this was a Harmony Korine film, so I expected to be somewhat shocked, disturbed and even disgusted, but most of all, I knew I'd be mesmerized. I was. Korine's Gummo and Kids were the car wreck you can't look away from but also very human. Flawed people doing terribly flawed, if not horrible things, to themselves and to others. So I was prepared, and yet, I'm still confused about my own reaction.
James Franco's performance is the key because he gave us either the most ridiculously over-the-top character or the perfect caricature of the poor, white American Dream. At times, I'm not sure they aren't the same. His appeal is astonishing because, as you watch, you see it as make believe but it's no less bizarre than the evening news. His anger, sensitivity, loneliness, and desire to be someone is done in a way that is distracting, but no less so than those on social media who create a persona nothing like their true self. As I said before, it's either amazing or downright hilarious. I'm leaning towards the prior.
Then there are the women. Young, beautiful, and looking for a change of scenery. In what I have to believe is a very unironic twist, Korine cast two former Disney stars, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson, and Toto, I'm pretty sure we're not in Hannah Montana anymore. The rest of the cast is the pop star, Selena Gomez, Rachel Korine (Harmony's wife) and the rapper Gucci Mane. Gomez is fighting her faith and good girl reputation, both on screen and off. It all adds to this complex reality within a movie. The young ladies' actions are absolutely insane when one thinks of from what we see, but the director is very careful not to give too much background on these four. We simply know that two are a little more off than the others.
What's also interesting is how the film is shot. As I believe Korine is about my age (48), it always feels like this grandiose homage to the 80's. Miami Vice meets every video ever made, but now with modern day pop, dubstep, house, and rap lyrics. There's one scene with James Franco playing the piano, while bikini-clad women don ski masks and assault rifles, dancing in the most perfect Michael Mann sunset I've ever seen. There's repetition too, which seems to have been a trademark of 80's movies and again, in his homage, Korine sticks to what worked. My one question is "Did anyone under 35 even understand this movie?"
The ending is not at all what I thought it was going to be and is both horrible and unsatisfying, but like Korine has shown us in other films, specifically Kids, people do for themselves and let those around them suffer to get what they want, and this is the key, in THAT very moment.
But I'm still left with
Is it any good?
I knew going in, that this was a Harmony Korine film, so I expected to be somewhat shocked, disturbed and even disgusted, but most of all, I knew I'd be mesmerized. I was. Korine's Gummo and Kids were the car wreck you can't look away from but also very human. Flawed people doing terribly flawed, if not horrible things, to themselves and to others. So I was prepared, and yet, I'm still confused about my own reaction.
James Franco's performance is the key because he gave us either the most ridiculously over-the-top character or the perfect caricature of the poor, white American Dream. At times, I'm not sure they aren't the same. His appeal is astonishing because, as you watch, you see it as make believe but it's no less bizarre than the evening news. His anger, sensitivity, loneliness, and desire to be someone is done in a way that is distracting, but no less so than those on social media who create a persona nothing like their true self. As I said before, it's either amazing or downright hilarious. I'm leaning towards the prior.
Then there are the women. Young, beautiful, and looking for a change of scenery. In what I have to believe is a very unironic twist, Korine cast two former Disney stars, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson, and Toto, I'm pretty sure we're not in Hannah Montana anymore. The rest of the cast is the pop star, Selena Gomez, Rachel Korine (Harmony's wife) and the rapper Gucci Mane. Gomez is fighting her faith and good girl reputation, both on screen and off. It all adds to this complex reality within a movie. The young ladies' actions are absolutely insane when one thinks of from what we see, but the director is very careful not to give too much background on these four. We simply know that two are a little more off than the others.
What's also interesting is how the film is shot. As I believe Korine is about my age (48), it always feels like this grandiose homage to the 80's. Miami Vice meets every video ever made, but now with modern day pop, dubstep, house, and rap lyrics. There's one scene with James Franco playing the piano, while bikini-clad women don ski masks and assault rifles, dancing in the most perfect Michael Mann sunset I've ever seen. There's repetition too, which seems to have been a trademark of 80's movies and again, in his homage, Korine sticks to what worked. My one question is "Did anyone under 35 even understand this movie?"
The ending is not at all what I thought it was going to be and is both horrible and unsatisfying, but like Korine has shown us in other films, specifically Kids, people do for themselves and let those around them suffer to get what they want, and this is the key, in THAT very moment.
But I'm still left with
Is it any good?
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