Product Description Based on James Franco s Palo Alto Stories and A California Childhood , Ivan Cohen is a young boy living in Palo Alto, California. Unsatisfied by his slacker group of friends, his love for a girl who doesn t know he exists, and a dysfunctional family life, he is struggling to find his place in the world. Review Emotionally raw, hits its audience like a tidal wave. Rarely does coming of age films feel this genuine. Sam Dillon delivers a haunting performance --Matt Conway, The Young FolksPoignant and haunting, Nina Ljeti and Vladimir de Fontenay have created a masterpiece of human psyche! This is one you'll watch over and over and just keep finding more! --Paste MagazineEmotionally affecting. They capture the ennui, frustration and kinetic energy of American adolescence... poignant. It deserves a place among some of the best in the troubled teen genre. --Austin360
M**T
A different type of teen film
This was definitely a very different type of teen movie but it still wasn't all that bad either. Thomas mann does an amazing job as portraying his character in this movie. However there are also some very sad moments as well especially in the flash back scenes. But it teaches us that often it's better to look ahead and not always behind
F**E
Five Stars
Fantastic film, truly enjoyed watching it.
A**R
Three Stars
While worthwhile to view it is a hard movie to watch.
R**S
Three Stars
What was this about?
T**R
James Franco might be talented...lol
Not bad for ole' franco
A**.
Ivan, as we know him.
*includes spoilers for Palo Alto (book).If you are familiar with James Franco’s book, Palo Alto, you will know that Memoria’s Ivan was a real person Franco knew. Franco states in Palo Alto that his original intent in writing Palo Alto was to memorialize Ivan’s tragic life. But, as happens quite often to writers, the inspiration and the creation diverged and something new materialized. It is, however, clear to me that the real Ivan haunts James Franco. He is the one person that has appeared multiple times in Franco’s more autobiographical musings of fiction and poetry, so it is not coincidental Memoria would be created to ease this regret he carries.When I first read Palo Alto, with the exception of Lockheed, I wasn’t terribly impressed. The lives of spoiled and troubled teens are nothing new, so what more can be profoundly said of the escapism of underage drugs, alcohol, and sex? However, when I reached the end of the book and read Franco’s afterword on Ivan, I spiritually gasped—here was the story I realized I wanted reading Palo Alto! Here was the one voice struggling to be heard in the crowd of misfits Franco scattered randomly throughout the book like demons in Ivan’s personal hell.Knowing this going into watching this film, nothing unexplained in the film confused me. I understood the context of what was happening, down to the scene with the gun at the end. I think it is a great injustice to the memory of this real human being to not understand, and it is a true shame Franco did not go through with his original plan. The film itself is so beautifully done and terribly sad that I cried at the end and the potential lost. In a way, Franco profits from Ivan’s misery, but without the effort Ivan truly would be lost to us. He deserves to be remembered.Also, for those wondering, Ivan IS actually pronounced “Ee-vahn.” No, James Franco wasn’t calling him Yvonne.
G**P
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!!!
It was SOOOOOO dark that at times I could not identify faces, It makes it difficult to enjoy a story line and follow it when you cannot distinguish scenes, terrain, actors,etc.I am not sure what the nuance is with dark scenes even in daytime shooting scenes!! I am so tired of it and I will continue to state my opinion. I wish I had aborted earlier and not waste the time, but since it was a psych theme I keep hoping for a contrast to make a point in the story,,,,,,but , alas!!!!!NO!!Do not waste your time or money!!!
H**R
This is not HD! Could have bought it for less on Roku.
Not HD. That was the only reason I bought it from Amazon.
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