The film is centred around the obscenity trial of Howl written by Allen Ginsberg, this is only one strand of the film though and we also see Ginsberg reading Howl at a small smoky bar full of hipsters including Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady interspersed with fantastical animations depicting interpretations of the poem. At the same time we see an older Ginsberg talking to an unseen journalist about his life and what the poem is essentially about. This makes the film sound interesting and original and I had high expectations for Howl. Perhaps this was the problem. The beginning is interesting but the film continues with this formula throughout and becomes predictable and boring. For such a fascinating era and movement the film struggles to capture the essence of both and on the whole is hugely disappointing. To begin with the animations were a charming surprise and I loved James Franco depicting Ginsberg but the film runs out of steam quickly.
I enjoyed learning of minute parts of Ginsberg’s life and getting a glimpse into what influenced and determined the writing of the poem, however, the ratios of the film felt wrong. I would have liked to have heard and seen more about Ginsberg and less about the poem. The film is an interesting expression of the poem but there was not enough substance to make it a standalone film. The animation became tedious rather than mesmerising like it was at the beginning and the reading of the poem became monotonous. James Franco does a tremendous job as Ginsberg but it feels like he is not as present in the film as he should be for the character it is all about. The courtroom scenes are dull and there was nothing making me want to watch the film to the end, no driving force. A disappointing film with moments of real potential but it never quite achieves what it sets out to do.
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