Film Review: "Palo Alto" (2013).

"In every city some seek love, some look for trouble, others look for both." This is Palo Alto. This drama film adapted and directed by Gia Coppola and based on James Franco's 2010 short story collection of the same name. A lack of parental guidance encourages teens in an affluent California town to rebel with substance abuse and casual sex.

By November 2012, Emma Roberts, James Franco, Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Val Kilmer, Margaret Qualley and Chris Messina were cast in an adaption of Franco's 2010 short story collection of the same name with Gia Coppola making her directorial debut. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in December. Filming took place throughout Palo Alto, California.

The film stars Roberts, Franco, Kilmer, Wolff, Kilmer, Qualley and Messina. The true entertainment is provided by the cast, especially Roberts. If high school and teen shenanigans aren't your cup of tea, it's almost worth watching for their performances alone.

Gia Coppola + Emma Roberts + James Franco... do we need to say anymore? Coppola is arguably one of the best filmmakers to capture the achingly annoying experience of being stuck in an arrested state (especially as a teenager). Through her creative eye, Coppola is able to emphasise the 'hopelessness' of the characters whose vapidness disappears when they commit their crimes, while capturing their unpolished refinement. A film that is as cold and callous as its subject matter. It's a calculated risk by Coppola, but one that ultimately works. I liked the film, even if I felt a little dirty afterward. It's taut, makes its point without hammering it home, well acted (particularly Roberts; I know!) and visually delicious. Aided by a lively young cast (headed by Unfabulous star Emma Roberts), the writer-director creates a film that entertains as much as it appalls. The film is a drama, a gentle (if thin) drama of hopeless teenagers, and a canny probe into the ecosystem of California's teen culture and the weird influence it exerts on the rest of the population. Coppola definitely finds a captivating way of telling the tale. Her script and the performances give us something thought-provoking out of something superficial. Coppola's unflinching portrayal is social commentary disguised as teen drama, superbly photographed by Autumn Cheyenne Durald and with pitch perfect acting, especially from Roberts. It tells of the same sickness as her aunt Sofia's works, in other words, but it aims for accessibility instead of sublimity. What it doesn't have is a clear point of view, something that would make it of more interest than leafing through a high school yearbook. The sense of detachment that is a signature of Coppola's aunt -- the coolly distant, stylishly dreamlike way she regards her characters -- may work to her detriment. But the film gives you the feeling that you can reach out and slap these hopeless teens out of their apathy - unfortunately you're restricted to your seat and to your judgement - Coppola makes you work.

Simon says Palo Alto receives: