Howl
Dir: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
2010
****
I recently read Howl but I read it as part of Eric Drooker's graphic novel which left me a little confused to say the least. I really should have read it in its original form but luckily animation works quite well in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman film adaptation. It can be a little bit of a distraction at times though and I don't think it always works but for the most part it does the job but I'm afraid Eric Drooker is no Gerald Scarfe. The 'live action' part of the film is quite the opposite. It explains the famous and notorious poem brilliantly. The history and story behind Howl is fascinating stuff and it was quite refreshing to see a film like this do justice to the work, rather than churn out another 'painting by numbers' biopic. The way the film focused on the obscenity trial as a side story was also very clever, never mixing up the two and drawing attention away from the poem but also never preaching condescendingly at the audience or deviating from the true events for dramatic purposes. James Franco is very good as Allen Ginsberg, it's easily the best performance I've seen him in so far. The supporting cast are also very good. Overall, a well balance and educational film about possibly the most aptly titled poem in history.