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James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Bob Balaban, Jeff Daniels ... see more see more... , Mary-Louise Parker , Treat Williams , Alessandro Nivola , Todd Rotondi , Jon Prescott , Aaron Tveit , Alan Alda , Paul Rudd , Mary-Loise Parker , Andrew Rogers , Allen Ginsberg

Starring James Franco in a career-defining performance as Allen Ginsberg, HOWL is the story of how the young poet's seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenit... read more read more...y trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg - poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation - recounts the road trips, love affairs, and search for personal liberation that led to HOWL, the most timeless work of his career. HOWL interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an imaginative animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways to express himself, and in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation. -- (C) Oscilloscope

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60% liked it

7,520 ratings

Critics

62% liked it

101 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein

Release Date: September 24, 2010

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DVD Release Date: January 4, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (603)

  • blkbomb
    April 24, 2012
    blkbomb
    Jake Ehrlich: The battle of censorship will not be finally settled by your honor's decision, but you will either add to liberal-educated thinking, or by your decision you will add fuel to the fire of ignorance.

    "The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked... read more a Generation."

    At the end of Howl while I saw the usual words flash onto the screen explaining what happened to the people after the events we saw in the film; I was struck by how little I truly learned about Ginsberg. Now if I was a huge Ginsberg fan or if I knew much about him at all, this wouldn't be a big deal; but I know practically nothing and yet I was still blown away by how little this film did to change that. Especially coming from documentary filmmakers. So from this first little statement about the film, it may appear as though I didn't enjoy it. While I definitely wasn't blown(haha) away by anything I saw; there was enough there to make the hour and twenty minute running time worth it. I'm a James Franco fan and despite there being very little to his performance here, it is still a good one. I also really liked Jon Hamm as the defense attorney and Jeff Daniels as a pretentious witness. But what really changed my view no this film was the reading of the poem "Howl" by James Franco brought to life by some wonderful animation. That really just stood out as the coolest element to the film hands down.

    There were moments in the trial scenes where I was drawn into the legal battle, but at no point did I feel like the filmmakers really tried to make it seem that important. To me, it seemed like they like Ginsberg, they like "Howl", so they wanted to make a film about it. That would explain why the reading and animation storyline is done with such care, while the court case is given little time at all. I'm not saying any of it is done terribly, but a lot of it seems skimmed over. Overall it isn't as interesting as it should be, but with enough redeeming qualities to merit at least one watch. To be honest, I'd probably watch again in the future, purely for the animated poem. 
  • Stinger839
    July 20, 2011
    Stinger839
    Franco's readings were great and they were shot very well; I also liked the alternative computer animations though I do need to see those again to completely evaluate them. Overall, was extremely pleased and I expected to be extremely disappointed because HOWL is sacred territory... read more (I read it in high school, first exposure to Ginsberg).
  • SirPant
    June 29, 2011
    SirPant
    I recently read Howl but I read it as part of Eric Drooker's graphic novel which left me a little confused to say the least. I really should have read it in its original form but luckily the animation works quite well in the film. It can be a little bit of a distraction at times ... read morethought and I don't think it always works but for the most part it does the job but Gerald Scarfe Drooker ain't! The 'live action' part of the film is quite the opposite. It explains the famous and notorious poem brilliantly. The history and story behind Howl is fascinating stuff and it was quite refreshing to see a film like this do justice to the work, rather than churn out another 'painting by numbers' biopic. The way the film focused on the obscenity trial as a side story was also very clever, never mixing up the two and drawing attention away from the poem but also never preaching condescendingly at the audience or deviating from the true events for dramatic purposes. James Franco is very good as Allen Ginsberg, it's easily the best performance I've seen him in so far. The supporting cast are also very good. Overall, a well balance and educational film about possibly the most aptly titled poem in history.
  • cosmo313
    June 11, 2011
    cosmo313
    James Franco does Allen Ginsberg...and this film is to Ginsberg what I'm Not There is to Bob Dylan, in style, portrayal, and execution. This one's not quite as ambitious though.

    I'm already familiar with/a fan of Ginsberg, his poem "Howl" and the Beat Generation, so my take on ... read morethis film is obviously pretty skewed. This film shouldn't be looked at as a definitive take on the man, the poem, or the obscenity trial it became the focus of. Instead, this is a non-linear experimental piece which weaves together the 1857 obscenity trial, the 1955 writing/performing of the poem, visual recreations of certain sections of the poem, as well as recreations of a documentary interview and some biographical stuff about Ginsberg's personal life and childhood.

    This is not a film for all tastes, and it is really there for those who are already part of the proverbial choir, but the way things are done is interesting, even though the appeal will be limited. For the sake of others, I had hoped this film would be more accessible to a wider audience, and that there would have been a bit more context (both in general and historical) for a lot fo what is shown, but those are minor quibbles.

    The way the poem is rendered visually is pretty cool, and I liked the recreations of the Gallery Six Reading and the Trial. Franco is pretty good as Ginsberg, finding a nicely understated way to present the man to the world. There are some good supporting parts filled by Hamm, Balaban, and, Straitharin, as well as some nice little bit parts from Jeff Daniels and Mary-Louise Parker.

    As I said, this is an experimental film, so it's really indie and artsy, and non-linear, and will most benefit those already familiar. It is a noble effort though, and it entertained me. I also liked how it was one form of art (film) providing a commentary on analysis and criticism of another form of art (poetry).

    I liked it, and you just might too, especially ifGinsberg, "Howl", or the Beats are appealing to you. For the purely curious, you may wanna read up on things first.
  • ythelastman89
    May 4, 2011
    ythelastman89
    I really wanted to find something good in Howl, but it just wasn't a good movie in my opinion. James Franco plays Allen Ginsberg so over the top and cheesy that it's not believable at all and frustrating. It's almost bizarre that they kept centering around the poem so much and us... read moreing it as basically the only thing important in the entire world. Now I didn't want to hate this at all and I admire the intentions, but it's just so easy to see this movie for the flawed storytelling and film making that it is. The blend of animation does not work at all and feels ridiculously forced. The only really interesting aspect is the courtroom aspect of it. In a perfect world, this would have centered on Jon Hamm's character and been about his struggle to defend the poem itself because he was about the best character in the whole thing.
  • ceWEBrity
    May 1, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    Lives and mostly dies by its woeful literalizations, be they the animated retellings of Allan Ginsberg's poem, the dry courtroom scenes, or the documentary-style interviews, which feel desperately canned. The film is unrelentingly hideous, the initial offender being the garish, o... read morever-lit and occasionally arbitrarily stylized scenes in reality. Things only get worse as Howl starts oscillating with extreme discomfort between these scenes and its animation passages, which are about a half-step away from an embarrassment. Mired somewhere between excess and uncreativity, the momentum of the film comes crashing to a halt every time these scenes roll around; you actually find yourself wishing for a return to Jon Hamm's attorney non-character. Howl isn't a complete failure by any stretch - it explores some interesting thematic material, like the nature of censorship (especially how it pertains to political fear), and although its treatment of said material is admittedly obvious, it still brings forth its clashes in an intellectually engaging way. The acting is satisfactory, although I'll be damned if I can remember a single thing about James Franco's performance. He is given surprisingly little screen time, as Howl often prioritizes its shitty animation or its courtroom drama over the staged interviews, but nothing about his portrayal is particularly dissatisfying. This interpretation of Ginsberg did leave me feeling like he wasn't a complete stereotype, so I suppose that's a significant plus. Unfortunately, Howl's scattered virtues are totally adrift in a film too broken and discordant to even worry about pacing, and though it's short and punchy there isn't too much to see here worth watching. It's an original piece that grapples with an important, little-seen issue, but the execution is a mess.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    April 2, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn."

    As Allen Ginsberg talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of th... read moree work is dramatized.

    REVIEW

    Wonderfully evocative faux-documentary that showcases the poem. The animation sequences stick close to the literal denotation of the textual images. Some have found that approach unsympathetic, but I disagree. Part of what I love about the poem is its twisting of banality into surrealist mysticism (Plotinus in Oklahoma, Blake in the heavens over New Jersey and demon Moloch on Madison Avenue). The contrast between the intensely colored fantasy animation and the back-and-forth to black-and-white convey that contrast nicely. Others would like to see something else; let them make something else.

    David Strathairn as the prosecutor is wonderful. The scene when he inadvertently (I assume) falls into Ginsberg-ian imagery ("When I open my mouth, fists come out") is worth the whole price of the DVD.
  • stevenecarrier
    March 19, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I had a powerful experience while watching "Howl", an experimental take on the obscenity trial following the publishing of Allen Ginsberg classic poem 'Howl'. James Franco plays Ginsberg in one of his best performances, showing the famed poet as fragile and confident and knowing ... read moreyet still confused. The film uses courtroom drama, animation and black and white to express the time period, Ginsberg's words and the confusion that comes with trying to put expression into a box. The film is as much a document of the 1950's Beat Generation as it is about today's society. Anyone who has ever dared to put their feelings out for the world to see through artistic means or even just tried to better understand themselves will be taken in by "Howl."
  • sanjurosamurai
    February 11, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    without question i have never seen a film quite like it. a film about a poem, as the poem is read there is animation that accompanies the poem which is itself fairly poetic. in the live action scenes franco and hamm deliver particularly solid performances, and the decision to u... read morese dialogue from interview and court documents guaranteed an accuracy not seen often enough in biopic style films like this. overall a unique and interesting film.
  • fb733768972
    January 13, 2011
    fb733768972
    HOWL is not the best film in the world, but James Franco's performance really holds this story together. From the amazing animation clips during the poem reading, to the gay realization scenes, all the way to the court scenes, this film really proves that good stories still exist... read more. It is a bit dull at times, but it is extremely interesting and never lost my attention. Howl is a great film!

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Critic Reviews

Tom Long
January 28, 2011
Tom Long, Detroit News

It's sweet stuff, a portrait of an artist in turmoil, under fire and laying himself bare. Howl captures Howl beautifully. Full Review

Todd McCarthy
January 3, 2011
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Admirable if fundamentally academic. Full Review

Roger Moore
December 1, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Documentary filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman attracted Hollywood talent, far and wide, for this film, had an epic poem and a classic culture clash as their subject and still produced a corp... Full Review

Ann Hornaday
October 29, 2010
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

What could have been a trivial exercise in nostalgia instead becomes a powerful case for the cathartic power of art. Full Review

Chris Vognar
October 22, 2010
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

It's about literature itself, the ways in which it works on the reader and the folly of applying some objective standard of decency and meaning to words on a page. Full Review

Richard Nilsen
October 21, 2010
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

The film forces us to face what a powerful poem "Howl" remains. That poetry isn't just pretty language, it has the ability to make us think about our lives, even to change our lives. Full Review

Colin Covert
October 14, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Despite James Franco's smart performance as poet Allen Ginsberg, this film rings hollow. Full Review

Peter Rainer
October 8, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The language of that poem, which periodically pours out from the screen, is the best thing in the movie. Full Review

J. R. Jones
October 8, 2010
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

The result, though clearly flawed, is passionate and ambitious, celebrating that long-gone era when a book of verse could spark a revolution in consciousness. Full Review

Liam Lacey
October 8, 2010
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The best thing about the film Howl is the poem Howl. Full Review

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    • Allen Ginsberg: Poetry is a rhythmic articulation of feelings.
    • Allen Ginsberg: I started writing poetry cause I fell in love and needed to express my feelings.
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Howl Trivia

  • That has played: Jim 'Jamie' Graham Laurie Arthur Stuart Demetrius Mandras Quinn Abercromby John Preston Howl John Rolfe  Answer »
  • Which Batman also voiced the character Howl in Miyazaki's "Howl's Moving Castle"?  Answer »
  • In 'Howl's Moving Castle', what happened to Howl when he got upset about Sophie moving around his magic stuff and resulted in him having his hair dyed?  Answer »
  • which actor did the voice of Howl in Howl's Moving Castle  Answer »
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