Howl | Film Review

Story by Greg Bright 

| Published Feb 1, 2011

I often hear critics praise artists for ‘bold choices’ or really taking a risk by experimenting with an art form. Usually critics only say this when a film succeeds, but what if a film maker experiments with a style and fails? Unfortunately that is the case for the film “Howl” directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman.

The film attempts a non-linear format that combines animated interpretations of the poem ‘Howl’ that is read by James Franco playing beat poet Allen Ginsberg, an obscenity trial of the poem, while also seeing Ginsberg being interviewed while the trial is going on. Also mixed in are dramatized flashbacks of events in Ginsberg’s life that inspired the poem.

Seem overwhelming? That’s because it is. By focusing on so many different elements the film loses focus on its character, Ginsberg. The audience is never given a chance to connect with him, or anyone else for that matter. Everything seems to come and go without rousing any emotions in the audience.

In fact, the only character I found myself feeling for was the “bad guy” lawyer fighting that the ‘Howl’ poem is obscene. He is played with such outright mockery by David Strathairn that you end up feeling for the real guy because you know the portrayal is not realistic.

The editing is choppy and constantly cutting to weird angles as if they constantly want to remind the audience that this is different than most films.

We get it. In this case, however, that isn’t a good thing.