Film: Spring Breakers

Director: Harmony Korine
Genre: Drama
Source: USA (2013)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Amazon Prime Streaming
Grade: C-

Ah, Spring Breakers, I wish I could buy into you the way everyone else seems to. I know most of my complaints will seem trite and close-minded: your black light colors are annoying; your characters are almost entirely one-dimensional, obnoxious, and dumb; your analysis of spring break as a cultural phenomenon seems to come down to "Everybody wants it, but it's ultimately corrupting and hollow" which is kind of, you know, duh; your plot is dumb; you have a machine gun ballet to a Britney Spears sing along. And let me be clear: discontinuity editing and dreamy voice over does not in itself make for art. You come off as desperately wanting to be a 21st century MTV tinged Terrance Malick, and as much as I couldn't look away from the screen, I never felt like I was getting anything particularly thoughtful out of you. In fact, so much of what you did hit the nail on the head (what's your religious character's name? Faith. What's she shout when things get bad? "I didn't think it would be like this." Profound.) that it was practically student film silly--though clearly with better acting and more technical flair. 

Still, I just don't think Korine's indictment of youth culture makes a statement as profound as it's getting credit for. Or rather, I just don't think it's a new statement, though he may present it in a candy-colored, in-your-face strobe of contemporary consumerist frenzy. I mean, Dean Wormer said it like forty years ago:

Skinny, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

I will say this for the film: Unlike its characters, it does have ambition, and that's embodied best in the fantastic and no-holds-barred performance of James Franco. His Alien is such an out of control character, and Franco empties himself out of his Franco-ness and makes that character live, breath, and sweat his own American dream with every moment he's on screen. Shorts in every color, ya'll. (That monologue might be one of the best moments of the year, as much as I really found myself put off by this film.) His performance here pretty much single-handedly kept this movie from being an F for me. It is pretty fantastic. It's as good as the rest of the film left me cold. And that's saying something. 

I get the draw to the film, I think. The film has improved in the days since I watched it, and there are plenty of images and moments that stuck with me a lot more than I expected. It has an impact, so I could see myself liking it more with a second viewing or with time. And to its credit, I don't know any other filmmaker besides Korine who would or could make this film, and so that kind of strong directorial vision is worthy of some recognition and praise. It's just not a vision that really worked for me.

Perhaps I'll change my mind down the line, but for now, I won't have this movie on repeat. On repeat, ya'll.