Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Making the Case for Spring Breakers



Spring Breakers is my favourite film of 2013. I would rob a diner wearing a pink ski mask if I had to, just to watch it again. Or to get my hands on a copy of it. 

Let's begin where it all began with a teaser trailer than in itself is award-worthy. Most teaser trailers are. But there was someone about this one that intrigued me more than most of what I watch on a day-to-day base. Opinions on the movie have been very split. Festival-goers thought it was fine, teenage boys were disappointed by its seriousness, film enthusiasts didn't know what to make of it and the average moviegoer didn't even see it. It became known as "the movie with the two Disney princesses going wild". But it is just so much more than that. It's a film that bends genres, combines them anew and creates something that I've never seen on a screen before. It doesn't work neither as a satire, a full-on drama, a comedy, a music video or a wet-dream, but it's the mixture of all these elements that elevate it to another level of film-making. I won't go so far as saying that Harmony Korine knew what he was doing. Maybe he was. More likely, he wasn't completely. He didn't create an art house film, I think, but neither does his movie appeal to a large group of people. Cult movie might be the right term - or rather: future cult movie. 

Spring Breakers is an experience. Remember all the people mocking Gravity for being too long and having too little actual story? I for one think that both of these movies have some of the best screenplays of the year. And just as furious as I am about the people not 'getting' Gravity, I am about the people not even trying to get Spring Breakers. Of course, one may dislike or not love the movie once they've tried to work out what it was trying to say. Even if you don't arrive at a result, I wouldn't argue with you. But to completely disregard some of the things I love most about this movie, is a sin to me. Its content and ideas go from depicting the hedonic excesses of spring break to exploring friendship between young women to a re-interpretation of the American Dream. Confused? I wouldn't say I'm not. I don't completely 'get' Spring Breakers? But I like it that way. A movie doesn't need to write its intention out. A hint can be enough. And if the hint is as poetically executed as in Spring Breakers, a hint can be equal to perfection. 

Thank you for considering Spring Breakers, Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the categories I'd like to see it nominated in:

Best original screenplay - The dialogue is kept to a minimum and very powerful and the whole story evolved very organically. Also, the whole Britney Spears montage is enough reason for me to make this movie win. In case Gravity doesn't.

Best sound mixing - The voice-over fits beautifully into the rest of the movie and I think the technicians managed to make spring break feel real sound-wise without keeping the attention away from what was important to the story. 

Best make-up and hairstyling - Because pink hair. And seriously, the person that deformed James Franco that way must've really done an effort.

Best film editing - Some found the scenes of the actual spring break to be a tad too long and music-video-esque but I found that they worked very well. I loved the slow pace that was somehow underlined by some very fast-cut scenes. How is that even possible?

Best costume design - Duh.

Best cinematography - Everything looked either absolutely delicious or absolutely disgusting in a delicious way. My favourite thing about the cinematography is probably the lighting though. We don't see enough neon in movies these days. 

Best ensemble - Each of the three ladies was giving her very best and all of their performances felt very natural and honest. Rachel Korine was my least favourite, but even she depicted her character in an interesting, layered way. Selena Gomez was very sweet and her fear came across wonderfully, while Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens blew me away in two very raunchy and sexy performances. And then there's James Franco.

Best supporting actor - Again, I want to say duh. He's completely different from his usual self, not only look-wise, but also in the way he walks, talks, acts and whatever people do. The pistol scene alone should gain him a nomination.

I also would like Spring Breakers to create and to win these fictional categories: Best Poster, Best Use of Pop Music, Best Arrest, Best Nail Polish and Best Asses.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
(MOVIES I THOUGHT ABOUT CHOOSING for various reasons)

This is the End The Conjuring • The Bling Ring • How I Live Now • Michael Kohlhaas


20 comments:

  1. Haha I love this! Spring Breakers is awesome. I definitely agree with cinematography and supporting actor, but what I never even thought of was costume design. This film would be absolutely perfect for that category which is usually all boring period pieces that look pretty much the same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cool, I thought I remembered someone from FTS liking it but didn't remember it was you! Exactly, costume design has become such a boring category. It either has period or fantasy movies and next to nothing else.

      Delete
    2. Yeah I looked back to see when was the last time a modern movie had won and it was way back in '94 for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert... and that looked like it might be one of the only ones ever!

      Delete
    3. Woooow that's so lang ago! That movie had great costumes though (the flip flop dress!)

      Delete
  2. I JUST rewatched Spring Breakers, and totally agree with everything here. I'm pretty certain it's my favourite looking film of the year. It's impossible to choose a favourite shot. I also love the editing and Franco, like duhssss. Oh and I would totally vote for it to get Best Nail Polish.

    And that "Everytime" scene is magic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to do that soon, you're almost making me jealous.
      Spread the love :D

      Delete
  3. Sometimes I feel like I saw a completely different film when I read praise for this, because I thought it was awful. I wish I could've seen it like you did, but I just couldn't. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, that's ok. Like I said, I'm not mad at people who dislike the movie. If you're not writing it off before you've seen it, that's all I'm asking for :)

      Delete
  4. Was really hoping someone would choose Spring Breakers for Stevee's blogathon and so glad that you did!

    I absolutely adore this film and think it's one of the best movies I've seen in the last couple of years of recent releases. Definitely a firm favourite of mine at this point and by miles the most creative and innovative output in 2013.

    It should get all the awards for everything and anything it can, but here is me wishfully thinking!

    Great post and loving the GIF, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That GIF took me ages, it's the first I ever successfully created ;)

      Oh, I'm happy to hear you loved Spring Breakers too! It's such a divisive movie, I didn't expect so many bloggers liking it as much as I did. Well, we can always hope that it'll be honoured come award season...

      Delete
  5. I definitely made my own "In defense for spring breakers" post a while back! It was SUCH a surprise of a film, and a film that not a lot of people "got" so you really have to outline it for the haters to understand it's cultural significance. I agree with all your 'please consider' categories, but after seeing movies like 12 Years a Slave or Dallas Buyers Club, I don't think Franco's performance holds a candle near performances like in those films, you know? He's undoubtedly good, but not great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great, I'll read that soon. Well, as much as I want to watch 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club, I'm sort of annoyed by them in the way that I feel they've pocketed their awards before they were even released. Sure, they're probably great movies but they just appeal to a wider audience than Spring Breakers - which I think is equally as great. But I'll get back to that once I've actually seen those movies.

      Delete
  6. "Best costume design - Duh."

    YES! I loved that. But really... I completely agree with you on all of this. Spring Breakers deserves so much more awards attention than it has been getting. I'm still in love with that film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yesyesyes! I'm so surprised by how many people are backing this film up online. Maybe there *is* a tiny possibility of it winning something.

      Delete
  7. My favourite film of the year too. Spring break forever :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Spring Breakers is one I'll admit, did not like when first viewed. But now after seeing it a few more times. Really enjoy the hell out of it. Your post makes me want to watch it again. Great Job

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Vern. It's definitely a movie that you need to take your time with and I understand why you would like it more after seeing it a few times.
      And I haven't even re-watched it - I wonder how much I'll love it after doing so :D

      Delete
  9. Glad you liked it! James Franco is what makes Spring Breakers stand out. Franco is flawless as Alien, a white gangster with dreadlocks, gold teeth and a ton of money. The film is a lot of fun and will definitely become a cult classic in time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm happy you agree! Looking forward to the time when this will be one of those cult classics.

      Delete

Let the discussion begin!