Spring Breakers

Spriiiing Breaaaaak.....

(Original Image here)

Christ almighty, I don't know what I was expecting when I casually put this film on, but it definitely exceeded whatever it was I expected. When this movie was being promoted I didn't pay it much attention. "Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez...hmmm...can't be anything special..." I obviously ignored the fact that it was a film by Harmony Korine, a man who wrote the script for Larry Clark's KIDS and made films like Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy. If you have seen these films or heard about them then you'll probably understand what I mean. Read on to see what this understated film is all about :)



First of all Spring Breakers has that same grimey, very unsettling, feeling that the film Bully has. (If you haven't seen Bully I recommend you see it right away). Careless, dead inside, ruthless, and broken kids run amuck in both this film and Bully. This is Harmony's first "mainstream" film which I think in a decade or so will be a cult classic. Crazy works for Vanessa Hudgens (we all knew she had it in her despite her early Disney years) and the most surprising acting performance which shocked me was that of James Franco. Seriously! I couldn't get over it. It took me forever to realize that the creepiest guy in the world in this movie was James Franco. I didn't recognize him at first. And then I got this feeling, "ugh, that dude reminds me of James Franco, but surely it can't be." One IMBD later, sure enough it's him. The guy deserves a damn Oscar for that performance. He makes you never want to hear the phrase, "Spriiing Breaaaak..." again.

I was just really surprised by this film. It captures the chaos and recklessness of young people almost too well and there were some really disturbing performances (again Vanessa). There is a robbery scene that is just insane and a "reenactment" of said robbery that is spine-chilling. This movie makes me uncomfortable and I absolutely love it when movies do that. It's a terrible masochistic relationship.

Lastly, I must mention this. There is a beautifully orchestrated/choreographed song "performance." Beautifully disturbing. I won't give it away but you're left thinking "damn that's good and beautifully styled but fuck me that's messed up." You get caught up in it all the way to the end. The darkness, carelessness, and sociopathic tendencies really tug on your heartstrings. You want to praise, damn, and cry over the girls in this.

As the movie poster says: "Slick, Sultry, Stylish...." + grossly understated. If you need a dose of crazy in your life, and love neon colors that "work" check this out.