This is an odd little film focusing on one of the two most famous poems of Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) circa 1955, residing in San Francisco and New York. Ginsberg, you might recall, was one of the two main characters of the “beat” generation (the other being Jack Kerouac) so of course Mad Men’s John Hamm must be in this film, though sadly he shows little range. It’s like Don Draper in the same navy suit, same hair only he’s in a courtroom portraying defense attorney, Jake Ehrlich. David Strathairn is the prosecuting attorney, Ralph McIntosh. The movie revolves around a legal trial since the publisher of Ginsberg’s poems was prosecuted on obscenity charges. Witnesses are Mary Louise Parker in a bit part as an English instructor, and Jeff Daniels as Professor David Kirk. The movie’s cheesy animation sequences act as backdrop to the narrated poems -jumping all-over-the-place – which is interesting, since Franco is always portrayed as a real life ADD Renaissance-type with multiple careers, colleges, etc. In this, he’s the centered and driving force to a character who was complicated, gay, a momma’s boy and a poet. Franco has a big broad range. This ain’t no Pineapple Express but it ain’t a good film either. Franco, however, is Oscar-worthy material no matter what he does these days, and certainly creating a buzz as he jockeys into the next Heath Ledger spot. One tiara
