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This film has got pretty much all the elements to a shitstorm of failure. Douchebag culture, teeny bop stalwarts, dubstep, a white guy in cornrows, and Harmony Korine (director of Gummo, writer of Kids), a filmmaker who seems determined to make his films as inaccessible as possible. Strangely, it all comes together in a flawed but very intense, immersive, and unique cinematic experience. Who'da thunk it?
Spring Breakers is easily the most plot-driven film Korine has ever written or directed. A group of college students hungry to party rob a diner and take a bus to Florida for spring break, which they could otherwise never afford. Much nakedness, intoxication, and mayhem occurs. The girls get busted and thrown in jail only to be bailed out by Alien (James Franco), a rapper/drug/arms dealer. More nakedness, intoxication, and mayhem occurs (this time with lots of guns). Enter Gucci Mane as a rival criminal and... that's about it.
Err... I think most of you guys are gonna have to leave your screenwriting brains at the door and count your blessings that Korine was even willing to give you this much. He's not exactly a plot kinda guy.
Anyway, I'm not really sure what to make of this one. Unlike Korine's previous films, this one sticks to a select group of characters but plot is sparse. Shit happens but it doesn't really lead up to anything. The characters barely get any development at all. Selena Gomez's Faith is differentiated from the group given that she's more prudish and religious but even this isn't explored too much. There's sort of a tragic "crying clown" element to Franco's character but the moment where it seems his more vulnerable side is going to come out, the film moves along as usual. Dialogue is sparse, to say the least.
There's a lot of voice-over from the girls, often directed toward a family member, in which they describe spring break as a transcendent spiritual experience juxtaposed with images that suggest just the opposite. The film is all about superficiality and it knows that but I'm not sure if there's any particular commentary or even exploration that it's trying to get at. I feel like there's something to be said about the synthetic and vacuous nature of contemporary party culture and the human disconnect created by things like the media and the Internet. But I wouldn't presume to have any idea what goes on in Harmony Korine's head. So much of what he says makes no sense to me. So I guess it's on the viewer to extrapolate a bigger picture.
So, what does that leave us? Indeed, it doesn't seem like the film's got much going for it.
Harmony Korine's described the film as a sensory experience. I actually think this is the best way to go into it. The film is still extremely dynamic. It doesn't glorify party culture but rather shows it as dirty and debased as it actually is. Everything is drenched in an aura of lust, sleaze, hedonism, and destruction and it tends not to let up. Even the film's quieter moments have a lurid atmosphere bubbling underneath. The narrative really goes its merry way and everything seems to happen for no reason, giving the film an unhinged and chaotic feel.
The cinematography is amazing. Gaspar Noe alumnus Benoit Debie, who's really gotta have one of the best reels in the business at this point, drenches everything in lurid neon and black light. The resulting psychedelic look enhances what's happening onscreen and makes it all feel like an acid trip.
Franco's character and performance really help give a face to the film. Totally freakish and seemingly cursed to an eternity of maintaining the same superficial, excessive, and indulgent persona. Again, the "crying clown" thing. Gucci Mane makes a good counterpart as well. He's gotta be one of the creepiest, sleaziest scumbags the gangster rap world has ever vomited out. The girls as a group essentially form a composite character whose thirst for mayhem is seemingly unquenchable and escalates to a borderline sociopathic climax. Individually, they're pretty interchangeable.
The film has also granted me a wish I never knew I had: seeing a character get pistol-whipped to a Britney Spears song.
Well... This was a surprisingly hard review to write but I think it'll be easy to sum up. Spring Breakers is nuts, despite being Harmony Korine's most accessible effort to date. Completely illogical but dark, lurid, and I think ultimately entertaining. Again, probably not suited for a screenwriting mindset but still worth a watch. If there's a film that merits getting hammered or taking a bong rip before heading to the theater, this is probably it. It's definitely the kind of film where the WTF factor is worth taking into account.
Excellent review, James. Aside from the obvious aesthetic allure, this does look very promising. Once this is out in the UK, my eyes will be glued to the bikinischicks screen.
Franco's character is actually called Alien in the film. I'm not aware of any rapper named Alien actually existing... unless I've missed some tasty morsel of info.
As for the Riff Raff connection, it's definitely been speculated that Franco took inspiration from the rapper and recently been publicized that the rapper isn't too happy about Franco jocking his style, so to speak. So far, I haven't come across any indication that the character was indeed inspired by Riff Raff.
What I did find was that the character was in part inspired by the Florida indie rapper, Dangeruss, who appears in the film alongside Franco.
Honestly, if I thought the character was supposed to be based on me but I didn't receive any acknowledgement for it, I'd probably keep my mouth shut. Alien is a loser and also kind of a poser. The girls in the film practically make him their bitch. In short, not exactly terms a rapper wants to be associated with.
I'm also kind of shocked at how many people are looking forward to this one. Can anybody tell me what the appeal is? Not to disparage anyone's personal taste; I'm genuinely curious.
Me, I've been destined to look at the marketing through tinted lenses. I am more than familiar with Korine's style, which, for the most part, I've found to be both tedious and repellent. Not sure which side the scales lean toward more. Part of what intrigued me about this one is how totally different it looks from Korine's previous work (except Kids, I guess). I figured if not truly the perfect storm of all the right wrong things, it would actually be pretty interesting (which is was).
I guess if I didn't know anything about Korine, I'd think this was another Project X-type situation or just some lame hipster movie about spring break. But I guess I'll never know for sure.
Shit! I meant Dangeruss. WHY did I write Alien? o_O
Yea, he's based on him. I have no personal desire to see Franco's character.
What appeals to me about this movie is the fact that the three girls in the cast are stepping out of their comfort zones and don't give a fuck about it, really.
It's nice to see they're not being type-casted. And the fact that they supposedly make Franco their bitch make's me even more excited. Plus, I haven't seen any of Korine's work pior to seeing the trailer, and to me it loos good.
It just seems like a real fun indie awesome fun movie. Not Oscar worthy, not award winning. But it looks like something, to me, I will really enjoy and want to see again once leaving the cinema.
-- Curt
"No matter what you do, your job is to tell your story..."
I saw this on Sunday. It was okay – I’m all for independent films but I hate when they’re marketed as mainstream films for the everyday movie-goer. This was all style and no substance.
Besides Selena Gomez’s character, Faith, who sticks out from the other three, I really wouldn’t be able to differentiate the girls from each other. It also really irritated me that (SPOILERS) Faith simply goes home and is not seen for the rest of the movie around halfway point.
I really liked the cinematography and the way Harmony filmed it – I liked the little moments; like the girls hanging out in the hallways of their dorm and dancing on the walls with their feet or when they’re out on the beach and scooters… it is filmed very well and the score fits it exceptionally well.
James Franco did great. He made me feel uncomfortable and it’s great to see that his performance in ‘127 Hours’ wasn’t a fluke. The girls did well too – I suppose, given their material. I didn’t really care for the main gangster guy that was Alien’s nemesis. He was by far the weakest link acting wise.
I left disappointed because I expected something darker – like the remaining two girls unexpectedly taking Alien out in order to escape and go back home to their ‘boring ol life’. Instead we get this ending that is like “Reallllly nowwww?” (I have no intentions on spoiling it).
I loved this film for what it was trying to say and do...and not for what it actually was.
The Good: Amazing cinematography. Awesome soundtrack. Intriguing concepts and themes. The chicken hut heist. The Brittney Spears montage.
The Bad: Some difficult lines to swallow. A bit too repititive (the editing could be a bit more concise). The ending (kind of weak). Story lines that go no where.
The Ugly: James Franco's hair. But I loved him in this film. A total blast.
I'm super jealous of those who walk into the theater expecting another Project X type film...just to have their minds blown. The casting was PERFECT. Think about audience expectation. You have disney celebs doing a complete 180.
As mentioned before, I loved the themes in this film. The VO's were paired perfectly with the clips. It's almost as though Korine exposed the dark underbelly of the "party all the time" mentality. The pendulum swings both ways. It's a sad reflection of what young people have become today.
A must see in my book. Unlike anything out there.
Oh and two people walked out during the bit where Franco performed oral sex on a silencer. I guess seeing some chick get raped is okay, but when an actor gives head to a firearm it's time to draw the line.
Oh and two people walked out during the bit where Franco performed oral sex on a silencer. I guess seeing some chick get raped is okay, but when an actor gives head to a firearm it's time to draw the line.
I loved this film for what it was trying to say and do...and not for what it actually was.
The Good: Amazing cinematography. Awesome soundtrack. Intriguing concepts and themes. The chicken hut heist. The Brittney Spears montage.
The Bad: Some difficult lines to swallow. A bit too repititive (the editing could be a bit more concise). The ending (kind of weak). Story lines that go no where.
The Ugly: James Franco's hair. But I loved him in this film. A total blast.
I'm super jealous of those who walk into the theater expecting another Project X type film...just to have their minds blown. The casting was PERFECT. Think about audience expectation. You have disney celebs doing a complete 180.
As mentioned before, I loved the themes in this film. The VO's were paired perfectly with the clips. It's almost as though Korine exposed the dark underbelly of the "party all the time" mentality. The pendulum swings both ways. It's a sad reflection of what young people have become today.
A must see in my book. Unlike anything out there.
Oh and two people walked out during the bit where Franco performed oral sex on a silencer. I guess seeing some chick get raped is okay, but when an actor gives head to a firearm it's time to draw the line.
Excellent review. That last line had me loud laughing.
Caught this last night and am with AP with the big likes. Franco was very good. He managed to inject menace with a vulnerability that was critical to underpinning the sense of a character directionless and yet to grow up. Spring break is an escape where people forget their realities and throw themselves fully at letting their hair down. However, for characters like Alien, this is his life and when some of the usually transient spring breakers show interest in him and his shallow existence, he's given some purpose which crystallises around the planned murder of his rival. Many murders, gang killings and the such can be motivated by such trivial elements and the film captured this nicely. If only they'd injected more character development, it could've been hard hitting in the vein of "Bully", which is one of my absolute faves.
The cinematography was stunning. Completely and utterly enraptured by it. This guy (did Enter The Void, too) simply needs a chance to work on a major movie - I'd love to see what he could do with a big comic book movie. That could be something special.
That Britney Spears montage was excellent! Couldn't quite grasp if it was a mean-spirited pisstake, or if it was simply an appreciation of a song I actually like.
Agreed that the chicken hut heist was beautifully filmed. Very nice indeed.
Lot more positives in this than negatives. Joins Compliance and Side Effects in the much enjoyed category this year.
I always get this way when I see a film which features aspects I love, and aspects I hate.
Right, let's start which what I loved:
- The cinematography: I was literally lost for words at numerous times during this film due to this. It was absolutely phenomenal. I knew it would be good, because it was done by the genius that is Benoit Debie, after all. But it exceeded my expectations. The colours were absolutely amazing. The initial chicken heist where we see it from outside was absolutely amazing. The sunset shots were absolutely amazing. The scene where they are riding in the boat on the way to the other gangster's house was amazing. The washed out shots outside the 7-11 were amazing. I could literally go on, and on, and on.
- The soundtrack: Absolutely superb. 'Nuff said.
- The Britney Spears montage: I think this may well be my favourite montage I have ever seen. I was speechless during this.
- James Franco.
And now, what I didn't like:
- The lack of plot for the first half of the film. Ok, so they want to go to spring break... I need slightly more than this. And then they get there... and then do nothing but party for 20 minutes. Right, where are we going with this? And then James Franco comes along, and it starts getting decent again.
- Selena Gomez- I actually thought she was great in this... what I didn't like, was that they got rid of her character too soon. She was the only real distinguishable one out of the lot, and by removing her, they removed a huge source of conflict.
- The voice-over dialogue- Harmony Korine, you're not Terrence Malick. Yeah, as previously mentioned, you shot some decent sun-set shots. But you're not Terrence Malick. And regardless, I don't think the voiceover dialogue worked as well for him as it has in the past in To The Wonder.
- The ending- Someone about it fell flat to me. I think it was because of the lack of motivation... I was left a bit like "why the hell are these girls risking their life, when they've just phoned their parents talking about how they want to change, or do better in school and in life, etc. etc.?" And also, those were about the worst gangsters I have ever seen. How can 12 guys get popped by two people who (I doubt) had ever shot guns or killed anyone before that evening? I think I would have preferred the ending to have been slightly less 'happy'. One of those girls needed to get their comeuppance...
But yeah, overall, as I said at the start, I don't know where I stand on this.
I absolutely loved certain aspects, and despised others.
Not much to add. Loved the cinematography, especially the initial robbery scene filmed from the getaway car. James Franco was brilliant, Vanessa Hudgens surprised me and the soundtrack was great.
Everything else was all over the place. The story went nowhere. Dialogue sounded like it was made up on the spot. Voiceover was horrendous. It has everything we're told not to do. The ending was one of the worst ever. It actually pissed me off.
It was one of those weird films that I'm glad I went to see but you could never pay me to watch it all again.
Along with Mud and The Place Beyond The Pines, this is probably one of my most favourite movies that's been out this year. It comes out on DVD in the UK today but I already got my copy off the US Amazon site a while back.
I really liked this movie. I thought Kids was an okay movie, but I agree that this is Korine's best movie to date in terms of both the look and how thick the plot was (even if it actually wasn't that think...). I've seen the movie about three times now, and each time, I enjoy it more and more. It's beautiful to me. So neon and just... I love it.
One of my most favourite scenes in terms of how it was shot was the robbery. How it showed us it from within the car... looking in... awesome!
Below is a review I wrote upon first seeing it for a friend's blog --
Quoted Text
Spring Breakers. Where to start? How about: possibly one of the most audacious and colourfully mega journeys to hit screens this year? For director Harmony Korine, this is not new ground. He's a writer addicted to reckless characters, debauchery and violence. Just look at "KIDS" and "Gummo." As a director, he challenges an audience to reject Spring Breakers as nothing but mindless explotation and asks people to hate his films before realising what they have seen actually has cinematic merit. Spring Breakers is no different.
Our story follows four college girls (who are very fond of luminous bikinis) on a vacation to Florida for Spring Break. What follows this is a high-wire act for anybody that is a critic. They must try to explain the violent content, they must try to explain it's dream-like narrative, and they must also defend something that is often shurgged off as depraved material.
One thing is easy to explain - and it's that James Franco, the drug dealer Alien, looks crazy with cornrows and grills and he gave an amazing performance. Franco's antagonist boasts all about his surfer shorts' collection. He does Britney Spears covers on a huge white piano (who could forget this amazing scene?). He owns one of the biggest arsenals in Florida. It might sound cheap. But it's not, it's endearing, because that's what Franco does to the character. Actresses playing the college girls include former tween princesses Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens who stick up two middle fingers to their former Disney reputations. Desperate to escape their boring school lives, the girls execute an armed robbery. The movie is a frenzy in balaclavas. After being bailed out of jail by Alien things get disturbingly beautiful, extremely weird and then semi-coherent for a while. Throughout, Korine screws with time like a toddler messing with the repeat button of a broken stereo: Spring Break... Spring Break... Spring Break... Spring Break forever.
The girls' journey is brought to life in an eye-catchingly gorgeous neon shower of beautiful scene upon beautiful scene. If the story is what doesn't work for you, then there's no denying that visually this movie cannot be flawed, thanks to the reputable work of cinematgrapher Benoit Debie. What should be stupid makes sense in the context of the director's unique cinematic rulebook. Hudgens' character and Ashley Benson are all for the ride. And Franco is undeniably lovable, as he brings humor to one of the most creepy characters of 2013 in recent memory.
You do not walk away from Spring Breakers learning anything about spring break or even the criminal mind. However, what you do walk away with, is something beautiful and visually enjoyable. Nothing going on in the party-towns of Florida is going to be more interesting than the ambitious inspiration that bounces around this writer/director's mind.
"No matter what you do, your job is to tell your story..."
I went into this with an open mind, came out with an open zipper...LOL!
Seriously, I wanted to be transported into almost every scene of this film. Of course I hated the storytelling, it sucked more than Franco blowing that pistol. Really, really awkward there.
I respect the way Korine takes us through the whale's belly, "God, it was so nice to get a break away from reality for awhile," but after I got out, I had to spray the dirty off of me with a pressure washer.
Not much to add as McClung's review is basically spot on. Watched this for the sixth time the other day and thought I'd come bump this thread in case anyone missed this gem. One of the best of the year and certainly in a class of its own. Also eminently hate-able, as most great flicks tend to be. In a way, I think, as challenging as earlier Korine films, but certainly a lot nicer to look at -- no bacon taped to the walls, at least.
Fantastic work from Gomez and -- interchangeability notwithstanding -- the other three ladies, and Franco continues to prove himself one of the most interesting actors around.
"Everytime" and "Look at all my shit" have gotta be two of the greatest sequences in years.
I think there's another thread for this as well, about 3 or 4 pages back.
Yeah, that was my bad, I remember searching for a thread and nothing popped up so I made another one. But yeah, I thought this was pretty cool and new. Most probably in my top 10 for this year but I may have to watch it again.
On one hand, there's a lot to like here, but on the other hand, it's tough to truly like.
Very dark, gritty, and even "real", but assuming it's meant to be taken seriously, it's impossible to take seriously.
Shocking amount of nudity, sex, drug use, etc...probably to the point where too much of a good thing is just too much.
Some very hot leads in our 4 Protags, and all should be given some kudos for strong acting. Same has to be said for Mr. Franco in the acting arena, and his transformation to me was again, shocking, as I barely recognized him.
But, as stated above, even when I was liking this, I was disliking it at the same time, as it's so slow, so repetitve, so ugly, really.
Probably the finale is where a decision has to be made and for me, it's not positive, because for all the reality and craziness we witnessed, the finale plays out like a cliche action movie where al the bad guys get offed and the good guys make it look so damn easy, which would never, ever go down this way, in this world that was created for this movie.
Props for the positives and even the balls out attitude, but negative points for not staying more on course.
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