Redundant and unnecessary.

One of my all time favorites.

It is a performances centric movie

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I got really excited watching the trailer for this movie for a few reasons: Gia Coppola's cinematography, the sound track, and James Franco. I was not disappointing by any of these three, but was unfortunately disappointed with this movie as a whole . Many reviewers argue that the characters in Palo Alto are all stereotypes, but I disagree- I was glad I did not see any football players or cheerleaders that always find their way in every American high school movie. The characters were not one sided either. Take April- she could have been the stereotypical good girl but she wasn't: she didn't get perfect grades, she smoked while babysitting, etc. Gia Coppola showed the self-destruction that characterizes teenagers so well that it almost hit too close to home where it was more painful to watch than entertaining.The acting was convincing in this movie. Nat Wolff's performance especially stood out. The acting almost made up for the poor dialogue. I think the dialogue was the main reason people had trouble empathizing with the characters- although the Coppola's purpose was to try to show a more real image of teenagers, they just came off as shallow and stupid. I loved how visually stunning Palo Alto is, it stimulates nostalgia and gives off a dreamy feel. It fit perfectly with the soundtrack. My main complaint is how slow this movie is. It has no plot, and is just a bunch of intimate scenes of teenagers doing teenager things strung together. Overall: would not watch again, if it were not for the cinematography, I probably would not recommend.

It's been a long time since I watched movies and I have to say that this kind of movies has reminded me of the reason why I watch movies. The difference between books and movies is that books are so much easier; the reader could imagine and project anything they want from their own experiences onto the books. Movies, on the contrary, are often frowned upon because the screenplay is the director's vision, thus, there is much less left for fantasy for those dreamers who want to enjoy the movie in their own way. As a person getting out of high school, I fully relate to this. Even though I live in a remote part of Asia and could not experience such wild events as in the movies, somehow, I could understand the message. Despite a great many of their unreasonable actions that would seem unintelligible to older generations including self-destructive behaviors done out of self-hate, insecurities, they crave love and want to contribute something meaningful to their own life. Judging from their own circumstances, it was understandable that they were under too many pressures, both from within and without; hence, they couldn't realize what was wrong and what was right. By putting themselves out there, facing their problems, these youngsters have been courageously transforming every aspect of their life and as a result, become a better person. The process may take a long time and may not promise an easy route but I believe that with determination, these kids will succeed. Gia Coppola have done an amazing job in depicting what is happening with the young nowadays, striving to live in a world full of turmoil and struggling to find a purpose of their life.

This movie had me bored. There was not one likable character. I was surprised to know that throughout the movie the main characters were supposed to like each other. There was absolutely no indication of it. Also what angers me is the amount of smoking. I can't help but think someone from the cigarette industry sponsored this movie. Isn't it enough of the smoking in movies. Actors lighting a cigarette in a scene has become a crutch to give them something to do. It's so overdone. I guess the movie is supposed to be a slice of life. The scenes were SO low energy. Also the music score was blah. If you haven't seen it yet, don't bother.If I had to say one word about the movie it would be YAWN.

April (Emma Roberts) is a sweet girl with a crush on her soccer coach Mr. B (James Franco). He's a single dad and she babysits his kid sometimes. She also likes Teddy. They flirt at a party but end up with different people. He's drunk and high, gets a blow job from Emily, hit-and-runs another car, gets caught and is sentenced to 12 months probation community service. Teddy's friend Fred is a talkative jerk. Fred hooks up with Emily and enables Teddy's destructive behavior. April starts a relationship with Mr. B which isolates her from her friends Chrissy and Shauna.It's a rambling teenage high school romance. Emma Roberts is so tiny that she can still pass for a teenager. She's quite good in this role. Franco is flirting with super creepy. Jack Kilmer is a slacker teen. He should have the acting gene considering who his parents are. There is an immaturity in his acting especially compared to Emma Roberts. April and Teddy are kept apart for almost the entire movie. They need screen time together to develop more chemistry. The style gives a dreamy suggestive feel. However it's disjointed with April and Teddy basically in their own separate movie.