HOWL (2010) - Directed by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. Starring James Franco, Jon Hamm et al. (photo above: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg)
ROB EPSTEIN AND JEFFREY FRIEDMAN – DIRECTORS, WRITERS, AND PRODUCER
I finally got around to watching HOWL the other night. From all of the good reviews that it got, I was expecting a competently made film. I'm pleased to say that the film surpassed my expectations! It is not your standard biopic by any means and I mean that in the most positive way.The film portrays several events interwoven into a colorful tapestry: The obscenity trial of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the owner of City Lights Bookstore and publisher of the poem "Howl"; an interview with Ginsberg that took place during the trial; the first public reading of the poem by Ginsberg and animated sequences depicting the poem based on "Illustrated Poems"by Ginsberg & Eric Drooker. All of the dialog was taken from transcripts and publications. I can't think of a better way to capture the poem's brilliance and the author's unique life. It succeeds brilliantly at doing so.
All of the cast was superb and Franco outdoes himself. He brings Ginsberg to life, which is particularly challenging since there exists a substantial amount of recorded and filmed documentation of Ginsberg. His recitation of the poem captures Ginsberg's verbal stylization and energy. What a joy to watch! Jon Hamm also brings in an understated, dynamic performance as Jake Erhlich, the lawyer defending Ferlinghetti and the poem. The monologue he delivers as his closing speech at the trial is some fine acting. While I haven't seen Franco's performance in "127 Hours," it is disappointing to see that he wasn't nominated for this performance of Ginsberg. Hamm should have also received similar recognition.
For those of you who like a film that is artistic and is highly creative in its' narrative structure, I highly recommend this film. A fine example of how artistic creativity can be expressed and entertain at the same time.
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