BY MIKEY MIGO
This movie looked interesting when I first heard about it. I wanted to see it as soon as I heard about it. I like biopics about creative minds and this one looked to go beyond that. James Franco plays poet Allen Ginsberg. The movie jumps from Franco playing Ginsberg for an interview, the obscenity trial, a reenactment of the first reading of the “Howl” poem, some random scenes, and a lot of random and awesome animation. It’s described as a “nonlinear story”, but the story is clear as day. Ginsberg wrote a very personal and pitch black poem that pissed some people off. It had too many bad words and was ruled “obscene”. So he went to court and fought it. His lawyer was played by Jon Hamm, who did pretty decent. His job was to convince people it wasn’t vulgar and had artistic merit. On Mad Men, his job is to convince people and sell advertising. It was kind of the same thing here. He does it well, but felt like really lazy casting. Hamm is better than that and this movie is better than that. I’m not complaining though. The supporting cast felt sorta weirdly placed. Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, and Treat Williams were pleasant surprises, but didn’t do much in terms of making the movie any better. The movie’s heart and soul rests with Franco’s performance, specifically the reenactment and the crazy animation they paired with it. I really like what was done here. Franco deserves some attention for his performance. His diction during the reenactment is intense and remarkable. I looked it up and I have to note that a man named Stan Webb is responsible for the animation. He did a great job and he is worth noting in high regard. I enjoyed this movie, but there is just something missing from it. It feels robust in shape, but hollow in connection. I’m a fan of the writer, the actor playing the writer, the movie looks great, and most of the main ingredients are strong. It’s just missing something. It feels flat. I just can’t put my finger on why. I still recommend it because it’s a damn good piece of history and maybe you can tell me what the movie is missing. B-
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