Spring Breakers

Cast of Characters:
Alien - James Franco
Faith - Selena Gomez
Candy - Vanessa Hudgens
Brit - Ashley Benson
Cotty - Rachel Korine
Archie “Big Arch” - Gucci Mane

Director - Harmony Korine
Screenplay - Harmony Korine
Rated R for strong sexual content, language, nudity, drug use and violence throughout

      Every year, around mid to late March, legions of college kids flock to the state of Florida (my birth state and first hometown, by the way) to commit stupid, drunken, horny acts. That joyous time of year that every parent dreads knowing their once sweet, little princess is now going topless for beads and on the cover of a nudie video is called "Spring Break". Take a good look at your little ones, parents. That will be your kid in about ten to fifteen years. With Spring Breakers, James Franco plays a gangsta rapper with former Disney stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens as two of his bikini clad babes by his... Whoa! What the hell? Let's rewind that there... sih yb sebab dalc inikib sih fo owt sa snegduH assenaV dna zemoG aneleS srats yensiD... Disney stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens - okay, yeah, that's not a typo.

      The film centers on four childhood friends now in college. They are Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), and Cotty (Rachel Korine). The four are trying to save up to go down to the Sunshine State for spring break, but they've only been able to save up between three to four hundred dollars - not enough for the four of them together. Brit and Candy hold up and vandalize a small, fast food restaurant - Cotty being the getaway driver - to make some quick cash. Faith, being the more innocent one out of the four, is a bit taken aback by their scheme to make money for the trip. Seeing that they now have the money to go down to Florida though, she reluctantly overlooks what they've done.

      While on spring break, the four go buck wild like the rest of those wild and crazy college kids. Their vacation is temporarily put on hold though when they're arrested at a party that happens to have drugs. The judge states he won't charge them with possession since the drugs weren't theirs, but he orders that they either pay a fine or spend two nights in custody. They obviously have run out of money, so it's two nights in prison for the four of them. Also in attendance at the court hearing was Alien (James Franco), a rapper who's been running a few spring break parties in the area. Alien (his real name being Allen) takes a liking to the four and bails them out, promising to show them a good time. Faith, right off the bat, is uncomfortable with hanging out with Alien. She's completely turned off by his lifestyle, especially after finding out he makes most of his money selling drugs. Having been worn out from the arrest, Faith decides to leave and head back home. 

      What should I say about this movie? It's profane. It's vulgar. There's dozens upon dozens of scenes of former Disney stars nearly bursting out of their bikinis... It's also the best movie I've seen so far this year, and certainly will be one of the most unforgettable by year's end. Writer/director Harmony Korine is no stranger to controversy within film. His 1995 film Kids (which he wrote) was a great, yet deeply disturbing look at teen sex and substance abuse, and it was very much polarizing amongst both moviegoers and critics. With Spring Breakers, Korine indulges in a number of stylistic flourishes, creating a dark, dreamlike, surreal atmosphere that takes a harsh, unrelenting look at the binge drinking, crotch grinding, topless world college kids throw themselves into during Spring Break. The second half of the film (which I refrained from explaining for the sake of spoilers) finds the girls spiraling further down in their own hedonistic hell. The performances are terrific. This is perfect casting. James Franco dives head on into this role, and it's one of those roles where you hear about it and go, "What the hell?", then you see it and realize there's not a single false note struck in his performance. The four girls are equally strong. Selena Gomez, although not in the film as long as the Hudgens, Benson, and Korine, really surprised me with her terrifically conflicted role as Faith - the only one out of the four with a bit of a backstory. Her character is a born-again Christian. She adores her grandmother, and attends a Christian youth group. However, she still wants to experience the fun, party lifestyle of Spring Break, but once she gets a taste of what certain bad choices can lead to she realizes it may be fun for a moment, but when the dream ends you're in for a rude wake-up call. Vanessa Hudgens' character couldn't be any more polar opposite of Faith. Aptly named Candy, she's one wild, little minx that seems to have no concept of the term "line in the sand" and no regard for consequences whatsoever. Clearly, Vanessa has shredded any trace there may be left clinging to her of High School Musical. Hell, I was almost tempted to Google her and Gomez's age just so I could be assured I wasn't gonna leave the theater and find Chris Hansen waiting for me at home with his To Catch a Predator film crew. It's a daring performance by Hudgens that - unlike a few other Disney "Tween Queen" gone bad performances - actually works. She pulls no punches and goes all in, and I was seriously impressed.

      Obviously, this film will be polarizing, and I'm just telling you now, you're either gonna love it or hate it. When I walked by the movie's poster at the theater, I noticed it kinda looked like an advertisement for a dumbed down party film. The movie's anything but that. It's a provocative and at times darkly funny film about the hedonistic lifestyle associated with Spring Break and the consequences that may come with it. Korine doesn't shy away in the slightest from the boozing, the dancing, the gyrating, and the drug fueled partying, but he also doesn't shy away from the consequences. What starts out as one bad choice leads to exponentially bigger bad choices. That's what makes this movie so great and unforgettable. I give Spring Breakers an A (★★★★).

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