It is notoriously difficult to create films about poetry and writing. Such a cerebral art form is tough to reproduce in a visual format without going fully pretentious and having the characters spout ridiculous, unrealistic lines of dialogue. The visual language of Kill Your Darlings, a film chronicling the early lives of some of the most influential poets of the Beat generation, is almost secondary to the writings themselves. This isn’t a film meant to dazzle with visuals and spectacle. At its best, Kill Your Darlings presents the young poets as they are developing their own rules and limitations for what language can do and discovering who they are in the process. It is a character-driven drama that wants you to feel the motivations of each of its many characters, even if its grander ambitions prove too much for it to handle.
We are first introduced to Allen Ginsberg, played with mature confidence by Daniel Radcliffe. Allen is a young dreamer trapped under the limitations of his household, with his inattentive father (David Cross) and absent-minded mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Allen is delighted to learn that he has been accepted into Columbia University, knowing he can finally be free to express himself. Upon arrival he meets Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), a fellow poet and kindred spirit. Allen becomes enamored with Lucien from first sight. Lucien spouts big ideas of taking down the establishment, doing away with old conventions and promoting openness and free love. Lucien introduces Allen to an underground society of poets, allowing him to meet a colorful cast of characters.
Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan & Jack Huston in Kill Your Darlings |
Grade: B+
MVP: Daniel Radcliffe
Awards Potential:
Best Actor: Daniel Radcliffe
Best Supporting Actor: Dane DeHaan
Best Original Screenplay
Photo:
Sony Pictures Classics
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