(PCM) James Franco is a man known for his many talents; he’s an actor, a director, an artist, and an author—just to name a few of the outlets he pursues, all of which he does while pursuing his doctorate in English, working as a college professor simultaneously on opposite ends of the country, and more recently acting in the acclaimed Broadway revival of Of Mice and Men.
James Franco is one busy individual, yet one is never under the impression that
he is overwhelmed. No matter the project, Franco manages to give a piece of
himself to audiences and create a genuine and masterful artwork that will last
for centuries. His newest film, Palo Alto, based of Franco’s own collection
of short stories, is no exception; directed by the brilliantly artistic Gia
Coppola, the film works to essentially capture the essence of what it’s like
to be a high schooler.
At a New York press conference, Franco himself noted that when he wrote the stories,
it was meant “to capture a feeling”–or more specifically, the feeling of one
individual entering high school for the first time. There is fear, there is
chaos, but there is also excitement bound up within these other feelings, and
it comes across beautifully within his short stories, all of which are based
on actual incidents in Palo Alto, Franco’s hometown.Fortunately, when Franco
selected Coppola for the project, he found a true visionary who captures that
exact feeling in her portrayal.
Coppola and Franco met five years ago and Franco was impressed with her skill
in photography. It was her ability to so perfectly capture a mood and scene
that convinced Franco she was the one to tackle the book-to-film adaptation
of his work. While they couldn’t focus on every story Franco wrote, Coppola
stated she picked ones that spoke to her or stood out to her. Predominately,
her focus was on the character and story of April, a girl who struggles between
her feelings for a young and sensitive stoner, Teddy, and her flirtations with
her soccer coach Mr. B. The story Coppola and Franco create is beautiful, moving,
and perfectly captures the struggles and thrills of youth. Franco’s approach
to the story is gritty, realistic and exceedingly profound, channeling almost
a Salinger-mentality in his understanding of youth culture; Coppola seamlessly
captures that same feeling on film.
The cast is phenomenal. Franco himself portrays Mr. B, and though he said it
was somewhat difficult for him, since he related to the younger characters,
he does a remarkable job in really portraying the authority figure. Young Emma
Roberts takes on the lead of April and, paired with Gia Coppola’s brilliant
direction, gives her most moving performance to date. Coppola chose Roberts
because she believed there was something “realistic” about her, something that
could really be captured on screen and emotionally connect with audiences. Roberts
seems like a natural choice for the role with her subtle but lasting performances
in hit films and series, such as American Horror Story. Paired with her was
Jack Kilmer in his film debut, and Kilmer does not disappoint. He, like Roberts,
had something genuine about him that Coppola believed would translate well into
the film. And she was correct in her belief—the cast works well together and
creates something that everyone involved should and will be proud of for decades
to come. Palo Alto is set for release May 9. \
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