Even though this movie certainly is not entirely my cup of tea, I'm
still able to see and recognize it as a good and original movie, that
doesn't always makes things easy for itself.
You could definitely say that this movie is being a bit too artistic
for my taste. It's shot entirely in black & white and doesn't
necessarily follow a main plot line. It just follows its main
character, without making it apparent what direction the movie will be
heading at. It also makes it often hard to see what the point of
certain sequences in this movie are. It makes the movie at times feel
like a bit of a pointless and overlong one.
The movie definitely starts to become a bit of an endurance test after
a while. I was perfectly able to take and follow the movie for its
first 90 minutes or so but after that point it starts to become much
harder to stay interested, also since the movie too often isn't
providing you with anything interesting or provoking enough.
It's definitely not an usual biopic, that goes deep into things. You
still feel that you really get to know its main subject though, through
its slow and subtle storytelling. He doesn't even say all that much but
he lets his poetry and actions speak for him. In that regard I really
have to compliment the movie and this also was the foremost reason why
I still really liked it. You might not fully get to know the real Hart
Crane through this movie but it might still get you interested in him
and his work.
James Franco is excellent as the movie its main character, even though
he looks absolutely nothing like the real Hart Crane. It was not an
easy role to play but Franco is luckily not afraid to make things hard
on himself at times, which results in an interesting character and
performance, that is solid enough to carry the entire movie. Since it
really foremost is Franco who has most of the movie its screen time and
the movie isn't focusing ever on any other characters.
But that's not all Franco did. He also directed, wrote, produced and
edited it. In other words, this was a real passion project for James
Franco and this luckily does show in the movie. It's a skillfully made
movie, with eye for detail, that handles its main subject subtly and
with real respect.
I liked it good enough and respect it but I of course do realize that
this movie is not for just everyone.
7/10
Watch trailer
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