Iseerphia All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.
Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
hjames-97822 I'm a Ginsburg fan and had just never gotten around to this film. I wish I hadn't.James Franco and Jon Hamm. Two total and complete newbie lightweights together in one film. What in the name of God do people see in James Franco? This cheap, poor man's James Dean-Dustin Hoffman wannabe. I'll give him credit. He is a major self-promoter. That's about it. Old pros like Bob Balaban make these pretty boys losers look like just what they are--pretenders.There are actors. Then there are stars. Franco is a star. That's his business. To suggest he is even remotely intellectually qualified to portray the great Ginsburg--an intellect of mammoth proportions--is like casting Bugs Bunny as Rhett Butler.Save yourself. Unless you are a Franco groupie. Then you'll probably be in Heaven. Of course, you also probably think Kristen Bell is a great actress. Good luck with this poorly produced and acted junk.
Alex Deleon HOWL, The Poem in focus, Viewed at Berlin, 2010"Howl", in competition at Berlin 2010, straight from Sundance where it was the festival opener, is a semi-documentary focusing on a page out of the scandal ridden life of gay Poet Laureate of the Beat Generation, Allen Ginsberg, when he was put on trial in 1957 for obscenity in connection with the publication of his magnum opus "Howl".(I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness ...). The poet is portrayed by actor James Franco who appeared opposite Sean Penn in last year's Oscarized gay mayor movie "Milk", and is directed in tandem by documentarians Rob Epstein (The times of Harvey Milk, 1984 ) and Jeffrey Friedman (The Celluloid Closet, 1995) Using Gínsberg's famous verse masterpiece as the focal point of the story, "Howl" looks at different aspects of this landmark poem of the Beat era. The poem itself is depicted through animation and Ginsberg is shown reading it to an audience for the first time, then being interviewed by a faceless reporter off camera. Tailor made for Beatnik Era buffs (such as myself, for instance). "Howl" was interesting historically, but generally rather disappointing. Maybe I was expecting too much but among other things, the main actor, James Franco, playing Ginsberg, just wasn't Jewish enough, abrasive enough, or Gay enough! Berlin, Feb,12, Day Number 2 February 12, 2010 The early morning press conference for HOWL screened last night was better than the film itself. Both directors Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein were on hand to field probing questions from a sparse but more sophisticated press assemblage than usual. One German lady claimed that the animation used to illustrate the Allen Ginsberg poem was too glitzy and modern to suit the fifties time frame of the film. The general feeling, however, was that the film was worthy and stimulating, if not geared to the mass audience.Other than that it can be said that this year's Berlinale, never a festival to start off slow, has already shot off much of its heaviest load and biggest guns in the opening three days. Among high profile premiers already screened have been the Alan Ginsberg biopic and homage to his magnum opus "HOWL", entitled --you guesstit -- "Howl" -- good reception here, but will probably be a hard sell at the cineplexes because of the experimental animation mixage and the intellectualized treatment of the subject matter. BOTTOM LINE: For Ginsberg buffs and Beat Generation historians only.
Armand about freedom, words force, fear, solitude and a subtle form of revolution. a film who seduce not exactly for story itself but for its spirit. because the mixture of animation, performance of James Franco who preserves not only the spirit of the period but the faith of poet as mentor gives special seduction to movie. film of a poetry , it is a chain of doors. and that fact transforms it more in a reflection seed than an artistic success. short - a necessary docudrama. and one of movies who impose a lot of emotions after its end because it reminds the pure essence of word, the need of truth affirmation of basic things who defines the life.
gavin6942 As Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of the work is dramatized.I do not know what Ginsberg's voice really sounded like, but I have to assume that Franco nailed it, because Franco is not known for his superior acting and he really goes out of his way to sound different on this one. Sadly, the beard looks painted on, and I never fully feel like the style of his hair and clothes is appropriate for the time period. Maybe it is, maybe not.Franco also deserves credit for portraying a homosexual. While it is not maybe as bold as "Brokeback Mountain", it still takes some courage. (One could also -- and probably should -- give credit to all the homosexual actors who have played straight all their lives. Think of all the women Neil Patrick Harris has had to kiss. Awkward?)
