I got really excited watching the trailer for this movie for a few reasons: Gia Coppola's cinematography, the sound track, and James Franco. I was not disappointing by any of these three, but was unfortunately disappointed with this movie as a whole .
Many reviewers argue that the characters in Palo Alto are all stereotypes, but I disagree- I was glad I did not see any football players or cheerleaders that always find their way in every American high school movie. The characters were not one sided either. Take April- she could have been the stereotypical good girl but she wasn't: she didn't get perfect grades, she smoked while babysitting, etc. Gia Coppola showed the self-destruction that characterizes teenagers so well that it almost hit too close to home where it was more painful to watch than entertaining.
The acting was convincing in this movie. Nat Wolff's performance especially stood out. The acting almost made up for the poor dialogue. I think the dialogue was the main reason people had trouble empathizing with the characters- although the Coppola's purpose was to try to show a more real image of teenagers, they just came off as shallow and stupid.
I loved how visually stunning Palo Alto is, it stimulates nostalgia and gives off a dreamy feel. It fit perfectly with the soundtrack.
My main complaint is how slow this movie is. It has no plot, and is just a bunch of intimate scenes of teenagers doing teenager things strung together.
Overall: would not watch again, if it were not for the cinematography, I probably would not recommend.
Many reviewers argue that the characters in Palo Alto are all stereotypes, but I disagree- I was glad I did not see any football players or cheerleaders that always find their way in every American high school movie. The characters were not one sided either. Take April- she could have been the stereotypical good girl but she wasn't: she didn't get perfect grades, she smoked while babysitting, etc. Gia Coppola showed the self-destruction that characterizes teenagers so well that it almost hit too close to home where it was more painful to watch than entertaining.
The acting was convincing in this movie. Nat Wolff's performance especially stood out. The acting almost made up for the poor dialogue. I think the dialogue was the main reason people had trouble empathizing with the characters- although the Coppola's purpose was to try to show a more real image of teenagers, they just came off as shallow and stupid.
I loved how visually stunning Palo Alto is, it stimulates nostalgia and gives off a dreamy feel. It fit perfectly with the soundtrack.
My main complaint is how slow this movie is. It has no plot, and is just a bunch of intimate scenes of teenagers doing teenager things strung together.
Overall: would not watch again, if it were not for the cinematography, I probably would not recommend.