Palo Alto (2013 film)

 

Based on a collection of short stories by James Franco, Palo Alto is a film consisting of three different stories set in Palo Alto, California as it relates to teenagers dealing with boredom, lust, and self-destructive behavior. Written for the screen and directed by Gia Coppola, the film is an exploration of teenage life in a small Californian town as it revolves around a group of high schoolers dealing with their own surroundings and the world around them. Starring Emma Roberts, Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Zoe Levin, Chris Messina, Keegan Allen, Margaret Qualley, Val Kilmer, and James Franco. Palo Alto is an evocative and compelling film from Gia Coppola.

The film revolves around a group of teenagers living in Palo Alto, California as they all deal with growing pains, lust, boredom, and other issues as they all embark on some journey that play to their growth. It’s a film that follow four different teens as they all share a narrative of sorts where Gia Coppola creates as it play into these teens who are just lost in the world around them as April (Emma Roberts) is a high school student that is also part of the school’s soccer team as she has a crush on their coach Mr. B. (James Franco) whom she also babysits her son. April has feelings for one of her classmates in the aspiring artist/stoner Teddy (Jack Kilmer) who often hangs out with the more destructive stoner Fred (Nat Wolff) as they get into some trouble with Teddy being forced to serve community service after crashing into another car in order to avoid juvenile detention. Fred meanwhile goes after a teammate of April in Emily (Zoe Levin) whom he would have sex with yet has also things that he would want to do as he would also cause trouble. Though Coppola’s script is loose in its narrative and can be messy at times, she is able to find ways to play into the evolution of these characters as they deal with their growing pains.

Coppola’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of its presentation while utilizing real locations in and around Southern California including the town of Palo Alto as it is a character in the film. Coppola would use wide shots for some of the locations including scenes where the characters are in a location to play into their own sense of isolation and boredom while she also uses medium shots for some of the party scenes in the film. There are also intimate moments in Coppola’s direction in some of the medium shots as well as close-ups as it add to the drama. Notably as it play into April’s own interaction with Mr. B. whom she would have an affair with despite the fact that he’s an adult and she’s a high school student.

There are also moments that do play into the many fallacies of Teddy and Fred’s friendship as the latter tends to be involved in destructive manners as well as voiceover in what he would to Emily with other boys. Coppola also play into Emily’s own search for love but also her own sexual exploration although her character isn’t as developed as she has no idea about what she’s doing other than become a prop for Fred. The climax does play into a party but also characters growing up over some of the things they encounter as well as thinking about the next stage in their lives. Yet, it also forces a few to ponder if there is even a future for them as it all play into the ideas of growing up. Overall, Coppola crafts a dreamy yet haunting film about teenagers dealing with growing pains in Palo Alto, California.

Cinematographer Autumn Cheyenne Durald does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key and natural lighting for many of the daytime exteriors as well as the usage of lighting to low-level lighting for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Leo Scott does excellent work with the editing as it has style in its usage of jump-cuts and dissolves to play into some of the dizzying adventures the characters go through but also some straightforward cuts for the drama. Production designer Sara Beckum Jamieson, with set decorator Natalie Ziering and art director Dori Hana Scherer, does fantastic work with the look of the homes of where Fred and Emily lived while the rooms of Teddy and April are actual locations. Costume designer Courtney Hoffman does nice work with the costumes from the stylish look of Emily to the stoner clothing that Fred and Teddy wear.

Hair/makeup artist Molly Paddon does terrific work with some of the makeup April and Emily would wear along with their friends. Visual effects supervisor Viktor Muller does fine work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to some of the car crashes in the film. Sound designer Richard Beggs does incredible work with the sound in the way music sounds at a party as well as some of the sparse sounds in natural locations. The film’s music by Devonte Hynes and Robert Schwartzman is wonderful for its mixture of indie, pop, hip-hop, and other kinds of music that include contributions from Jason Schwartzman’s side project Coconut Records, Mac DeMarco, Jack Kilmer, Nat & Alex Wolff, Blood Orange, Francesco Pennino, William Storkson, and Tonstartssbandht.

The casting by Laray Mayfield is superb as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Talia Shire as April’s guidance counselor, Janet Jones Gretzky as Teddy’s mother, Emma Gretzky as Teddy’s sister, Colleen Camp as a woman who was part of a car accident Teddy got involved in, Francis Ford Coppola as the voice of a judge, Ana Thea Bogdanovich as a friend of the woman whom Teddy crashed into, Brennan and Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor as a couple of kids at a party, Andrew Lutheran as a boy April makes out with at a party, Jacqueline De La Fontaine as April’s mother, Don Novello as an art teacher, Sandra Seacat as an elderly woman who takes a liking towards Teddy’s art work during his community service, Margaret Qualley as a teammate of April in Raquel whom April notices Mr. B. puts his attention towards to, Chris Messina as Fred’s father who is a stoner and tries to flirt with Teddy, Keegan Allen as a weed dealer who insults Fred, and Val Kilmer as April’s stepfather Stewart who likes to smoke weed but also help her out with her term paper. Olivia Crocicchia and Claudia Levy are terrific in their respective roles as April’s classmates Chrissy and Shauna who often host parties while also making rumors about everyone.

Zoe Levin is pretty good in her role as Emily despite the fact that she’s underwritten in terms of the fact that there’s not a lot of development to her other than that she gives Teddy a blow-job early in the film and is the object of lust for other guys. James Franco is fantastic as April’s soccer coach Mr. B. whom April has a crush on while he is also creepy for the fact that he also likes April as well. Nat Wolff is amazing as Fred as this unlikeable and destructive teen who likes to smoke weed but also engage in vandalism and other destructive elements to the point that he gets Teddy in trouble as well as use Emily for sexual reasons. Jack Kilmer is excellent as Teddy as a stoner who has a gift for art as he deals with the drawbacks of his friendship with Fred but also his own issues as he also has a crush towards April. Finally, there’s Emma Roberts in a brilliant performance as April as a teenage girl dealing with uncertainty with her life as she longs for her soccer coach as well as coping with growing pains as it is one of Roberts’ finest performances.

Palo Alto is a marvelous film from Gia Coppola that features great performances from Emma Roberts, Nat Wolff, and Jack Kilmer in his film debut. Along with its supporting cast, rapturous visuals, hypnotic music soundtrack, and its exploration of teenage life in a small town in Southern California. It is a film that is a mesmerizing coming-of-age film that doesn’t just explore teen angst and uncertainty but also people just trying to find themselves in a small town. In the end, Palo Alto is a remarkable film from Gia Coppola.

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© thevoid99 2022

Terri

Directed by Azazel Jacobs and screenplay by Patrick DeWitt from a story by Jacobs and DeWitt, Terri is the story of 15-year old overweight freshman whose odd behavior annoys students and teachers as he befriends an assistant principal. The film is an exploration into the world of high school outsiders who don’t fit in to a particular clique where they do whatever to stand out. Starring Jacob Wysocki, Creed Bratton, Bridger Zadina, Olivia Crocicchia, and John C. Reilly. Terri is a heartwarming film from Azazel Jacobs.

Living alone with his uncle James (Creed Bratton), Terri (Jacob Wysocki) is a 15-year old freshman who often arrives at school very late as he is overweight and wears pajamas. Teased at school and annoyed by teachers, Terri is often seen as an outcast as he gets the attention of the school’s assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly). Fitzgerald decides to see Terri every Monday where he and Terri would have conversations about Terri’s failing grades and why he wears pajamas where they eventually become friends. Though Terri learns he’s part of a small group of misfits who sees Mr. Fitzgerald including a kid named Chad (Bridger Zadina). He learns why Mr. Fitzgerald is trying to connect with them learning that he was a kid who had been teased as well.

After an incident in which a young popular girl named Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) got in trouble for an incident she took part in. Terri pleads to Mr. Fitzgerald to not have her transferred as he saw the actual incident. Though Terri was able to save Heather, Heather had become a social pariah as she starts to connect with Terri over their own dysfunction. Following a meeting with Mr. Fitzgerald who is going through his own issues, Terri and Chad join Mr. Fitzgerald for a day just to make Chad feel included. Later that day when Heather decides to visit Terri to see his home, Chad makes an unexpected visit where the night turns into a strange one as Terri ponders about what is happening and its aftermath.

The film is essentially the story of a depressed 15-year old overweight kid who is alienated by the world of high school as the only friend he has is an assistant principal who tries to figure out what is going on. It’s a film that explores the high school misfit who doesn’t seem to fit in as he likes to wear pajamas because it makes him feel comfortable. Patrick DeWitt’s screenplay is told very loosely in order to explore this young boy’s life where he lives with an uncle who is very ill and often on medication. Notably as he is just someone trying to get through high school but is ridiculed for his appearance and the fact that he’s kind of naïve.

The only person that is there for him is this assistant principal who understands the world of misfits as the kids he talks to are misfits. While he might be seem to be the kind of authority figure that will shout at people, he is really more of someone who just wants to figure these kids including Terri. He eventually becomes Terri’s true friend since he does reveal bits about his own life while Terri does eventually gain a couple of more friends in misfits who are just as troubled as they connect with Terri. While Chad nor Heather aren’t as complex as Terri or Mr. Fitzgerald, they are interesting enough to help Terri come out of his flesh more although it would present challenges to someone who hasn’t had a lot of experience with parties and such.

Azazel Jacob’s direction is very straightforward in terms of its compositions and the way he frames the actors. Still, it is engaging enough for the way he captures the drama without going overboard while finding a lot of humor in the story and performances. Notably as the humor is more light-hearted and improvisational where it would create moments for the film to break out some of its melancholic tone. Some of that melancholia is in moments where Terri is often walking around the woods on his way to school as he looks towards the Californian landscape as well as the dead mice he had trapped to feed a big bird. Overall, Jacob creates a very solid and engrossing film about a young boy coming of age in high school in his exploration to find himself.

Cinematographer Tobias Datum does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful and sunny cinematography for many of the film‘s exteriors while utilizing stylish shadings for its interiors including the nighttime party scene between Terri, Chad, and Heather. Editor Darrin Navarro does nice work with the editing in utilizing a few jump cuts for some of the written conversations between Terri and Heather while the rest of the film emphasizes on a more straightforward approach. Production designer Matt Luem, with set decorator Lori Schneider and art director Nicolas Kelly, does superb work with the set pieces such as the home that Terri and Uncle James live in that is filled with appliances scattered around the house.

Costume designer Diaz does wonderful work with the costumes from the pajamas that Terri wears to the more grungy look of Chad. Sound designer Julia Shirar does terrific work with the sound to capture the calm atmosphere of the school to the sparse sounds of the exterior locations that Terri surrounds himself with. The film’s score by Mandy Hoffman is incredible for its melodic-driven score ranging folk-style guitars to somber piano themes to play out the film‘s melancholia.

The casting by Nicole Arbusto and Joy Dickson is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it includes some memorable small performances from comedian Tim Heidecker as a gym teacher, Justin Prentice as the high school douche bag Dirty Jack, Jenna Gavigan as a young receptionist, Mary Anne McGarry as Mr. Fitzgerald’s old receptionist, Tara Karsian as Terri’s homeroom teacher, and Melanie Abramoff as a home economics classmate of Terri and Heather. Olivia Crocicchia is very good as the popular girl turned social outcast Heather who befriends Terri following an incident as she seeks someone who makes her feel wanted. Bridger Zadina is superb as the hair-pulling Chad who likes to cause trouble and see what pushes Terri’s buttons.

Creed Bratton is excellent as Terri’s uncle James who is dealing with being on medication as well as being the only family that Terri has where it’s a very mesmerizing performance for the actor. John C. Reilly is great as the sympathetic assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald who tries to understand Terri while revealing to be an outcast himself as it’s a very heartwarming performance for Reilly where he gets to be funny but also dramatic. Finally there’s newcomer Jacob Wysocki in a phenomenal performance as the titular character where he displays a naturalistic quality to his performance in the way he reacts to certain things while brooding upon his appearance and such as it’s a very broad performance from the newcomer.

Terri is a marvelous film from Azazel Jacob that features top-notch performances from newcomer Jacob Wysocki and John C. Reilly. The film is among one of the more intriguing coming of age films in recent years as well as very realistic portrayal into the world of high school life. It’s also a film that young teens who don’t feel like they’re part of any kind of social circle to see as it’s a film that could say something about them. In the end, Terri is a mesmerizing film from Azazel Jacob.

© thevoid99 2012