palo alto review

I didn't love it while watching, but after letting it sit for awhile, I decided that I really, really enjoyed this movie. It's a lot like a Sofia Coppola movie-somewhat plotless, but Gia Coppola does a good job and it comes together. She uses a lot of scenes as vignettes of sorts, and towards the end I could generally see the themes it was attempting to convey. The plot is really not what won me over though, the way this was shot and the elegant soundtrack are awesome, but the acting! Damn. Jack Kilmer and Nat Wolff are great, especially Wolff's cynical, douchey character. Emma Roberts and James Franco were great and equally convincing as well. It's really kept me thinking about it since I left the theater, and for that it earns my respect. It's not a movie for everyone though and on a purely plot basis, it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from other teenage flicks. But still, everything else adds up to a really fantastic debut for Gia Coppola