charmorris

Spring Breakers

From the director of Gummo (1997) comes Spring Breakers, bringing an authorial style to a film that appears to have an artistic mask over a feature film.

From the director of Gummo (1997) comes Spring Breakers, bringing an authorial style to a film that appears to have an artistic mask over a feature film. Four female college students Cotty, Candy, Brit and Faith(Rachel Korine, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Selena Gomez) prepare for their spring break as they tire of their average lives. Average certainly isn’t a word to describe how their spring break was spent. The girls decide to hold up a diner for the money to travel to Miami and start their idea of a summer dream. The girls soon come across trouble as they end up in court but are bailed out by a drug dealer named Alien (James Franco) who then introduces them to his risky lifestyle. 

The events of the film are unrealistic, dramatic and somewhat ridiculous and yet there is a feeling of escapism that I think every student and teenager desires. Korine blends slow motion shots of the girls and neon lit, grimy, wild parties that will make you feel voyeuristic and dirty watching, and yet it still feels like a paradise that you wish you could indulge. The actresses performances are strong enough despite the lacking script but the main star of the film is Franco who brings more substance to the narrative. It’s apparent that the real quality of the film lies within the visuals, stunning visuals at that.

It’s close to being outrageously pretentious with the girls using spring break and their absurd actions as an excuse to ‘find themselves’ repeating the words “Spring break forever” needlessly, but at the end of the film you realise you’ve been in a trance, pulled along by the candy coloured bikini’s, endless slow motion shots and extremely visually pleasing cinematography. Should you watch this film? Yes, if you’re not expecting a comical party film and aren’t expecting that you’ll definitely enjoy it.