Jack Kerouac is without question one of the greatest authors of all time. You don't absorb his writings so much as they absorb you. I can't even count the number of times I've read passages of his, gotten to the end of a long stream-of-consciousness rant and realized I couldn't recall whatever it was I'd just read. And yet, despite this, I was utterly captivated as I read it.
The main issue with adapting a writer like Kerouac to film is that it's not so much about the images as it is about the words themselves. Without the power of Kerouac's words, words which reflect the thought process that runs through his head as he analyzes life and those caught up in his story, you lose a great deal of what makes Kerouac so special. This was one of the primary issues with Walter Salles' recent adaptation of what is arguably Kerouac's best work On the Road. That film, totally drained of the enormous spirit which inhabits the novel, was a miscalculated disappointment. What Michael Polish's brilliant adaptation of On the Road's spiritual sequel Big Sur understands is that the beauty lies in the words themselves. The images come as a natural response.
Written at the tail-end of his life, Big Sur is Kerouac's personal account of his frustration with the popularity of On the Road and the Beat Generation wannabes it spawned. It also examines his personal struggles with alcoholism, an affliction which would ultimately bring about his untimely death. His clear, level-headed descriptions of his binge-drinking and the hallucinations that result from a particularly dark evening at a friend's cabin in Big Sur, California are haunting and fascinating. Even more disturbing is how matter of factly Kerouac describes his addictions with a knowing tone, as if he was well-aware that he was slowly but surely killing himself and there could be no escape.
The film adaptation of Big Sur has a great deal of voiceover narration, a cinematic tool that, when used inappropriately, can end up distancing you from the subject matter on display. Here it does precisely the opposite. It actually serves as the bridge between us and the story being told. Utilizing a large number of verbatim passages from the text itself is a stroke of genius and by viewing the world through Jack's words, we develop a keen understanding of how he viewed life, pain, love, friendship and all the other subjects that come into play over the course of the film.
Jean-Marc Barr seems an unlikely choice to play Kerouac, but he embodies the role effectively. His performance reflects the cool madness of a desperate man pushed beyond his psychological limits to discover unsettling truths about himself and humanity. Barr lends a great deal of humanity to the role with a sympathetic and moving performance. The supporting cast is strong - Josh Lucas is boyish and charming as Neal Cassidy and Kate Bosworth is quite good as Kerouac's brief romantic interest Billie.
Director Michael Polish typically works with his brother Mark and I believe this is the first project he developed on his own. I haven't seen the work he did with his brother, so I don't have a point of comparison, but it's not too much of a stretch to say that Polish is immensely talented as a writer and a director. With the aid of M. David Mullen's gorgeous cinematography, he has a beautiful, hypnotizing visual aesthetic that pulls us right into the head of Kerouac in his darkest moments. The images are evocative and unforgettable.
CONCLUSION: Big Sur may work better for those who are fans of the novel and its author, but one cannot deny its effectiveness as a moving examination of alcoholism and the crushing effects it can have on one's soul
FINAL RATING: 4/5
Kill Your Darlings tells the story of a young Allen Ginsberg who has just been accepted to Columbia University. During his first year, he met and fell in love with a charming, mischievous lad named Lucien Carr. Carr would introduce Ginsberg to Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, the authors with whom he would pave a new pathway in literature. And while this film does feature some enjoyable sequences in which these legendary artists goof off and encourage each other to create, its main focus is on Ginsberg's coming-of-age and his relationship with Carr. It also concentrates on a particularly disturbing chapter in these young writers' lives - the murder of a troubled individual at the hands of Carr.
Writer/Director John Krokidas, with the assistance of his writing partner and old college roommate Austin Bunn, has crafted a rather entertaining tale. It's got some great moments, particularly when it focuses on the relationship between Allen and Lucien and the young Beat Generation's interactions with each other. The melodrama involving the murder of David Kammerer (Played quite well by Michael C. Hall) seems a bit tacked on in some ways, even though it played a major part in the lives of these individuals. I found myself more involved with the characters and their relationships with each other than with the standard plot that ends up taking over about halfway through.
Performances all across the board are strong with Daniel Radcliffe being the particular standout as Allen Ginsberg. I've always admired Radcliffe as an actor and he continues to prove his skills, making Ginsberg relatable and quite likable. Dane Dehaan is Radcliffe's equal as Lucien Carr. He is charming and immensely attractive. Ben Foster nails Burroughs and Jack Huston is a serviceable Kerouac (Though, as an enormous Kerouac fan, I'm a bit bummed that they portrayed him as more of a hunky lunkhead than the thoughtful, shy individual that he was). The cast is easily the strongest part of the film. The screenplay leaves a bit to be desired, but as a first time effort, it's admirable and Krokidas has a steady hand as a director that promises an intriguing career.
CONCLUSION: Kill Your Darlings can't be considered a rousing success, but it's a modest one and it is very much worth your time thanks to excellent performances from Radcliffe and Dehaan. Give it a looksee and then I highly recommend rushing out to grab some of the Beats' literary works to see what these crazy kids would produce.
FINAL RATING: 3.5/5
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