Palo Alto - C

Rated R, 98 minutes

Pensive and joyless, well-acted "Palo Alto" is an aimless look at some young folks

The new teen indie drama "Palo Alto" is the latest film directed by yet another Coppola, Gia Coppola, and is based on a series of stories by James Franco. Coppola's engaging but meandering film is well-performed by the charming young cast but is a downbeat view of young life. "Palo Alto" centers around a group of rebellious high school kids in an urban environment and their experiences with drugs, alcohol, sex, and violence. There's the class virgin, shy and sensitive April (Emma Roberts), who becomes infatuated with her single-dad soccer coach (James Franco); introspective artist Teddy (Jack Kilmer, Val's son) who has a crush on April and gets into trouble as a result of his friendship with his very unpredictable, live wire friend Fred (Nat Wolff), who is on a path of self-destruction. "Palo Alto" is an engaging film that shows that Coppola, like other members of his family, have talent behind the camera, and it features solid turns by Kilmer, Wolff and Roberts, though the film is hardly anything original. As a matter of fact, the low-key, pensive pacing and tone feel similar to something Sofia Coppola would do ("Virgin Suicides" comes to mind here), and often you're bound to lose interest because there's seemingly little going on screen. But the memorable, affecting turns, particularly from Kilmer and Wolff, show that they have a future in acting. I wanted to like "Palo Alto" more, but I had trouble connecting with many of the characters, particularly the creepy coach played by Franco, who made a little uncomfortable (but then maybe that was the point). "Palo Alto" is worth a look for the performances, if you can stay awake through the sluggish, somewhat boring film.

Wes's Grade: C