thezeal Reviews

Palo Alto (2013)

Pretty movie but where's the plot?

[7/10 · 7 April 2017]

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.

The Preppie Connection (2015)

A pleasant surprise

[8/10 · 7 April 2017]

Before watching a movie, I often look at the reviews first. Going into the Preppy Connection, I was sure I wasn't even going to be able to finish it, but I was surprised.

First of all, the cinematography in this movie is excellent. It is very subtle and intimate, making the whole story feel more real, which I suppose was the purpose given this is based off of a true story.

The acting was pretty good, I was especially impressed by Lucy Fry's performance. By the end of the movie, the physical damage cocaine had on the characters, shown by the dark circles under their eyes or the yellow tint of their skin was a good choice.

Overall I think what really stood out to me was how convincing this movie was. Not necessarily from the plot, but from the little details. Coming from a New England boarding school, I was impressed by how realistic the dormrooms, classrooms, uniforms, as well as the different characters in this movie were. Private school scandals are often blown out of proportion in the media, vilifying everyone involved and I was expecting this movie would do the same, but I actually found myself either relating to characters or at least seeing people I actually knew in characters. The movie moves at a pretty slow pace and definitely is about first world problems, but once you get over this you might find yourself surprised by this movie too.