Palo Alto

Ever wondered why Renaissance dreamboat James Franco was taking all those Ivy League writing courses? Turns out he was penning short story collection Palo Alto, which follows a handful of dazed and confused teens in the Californian town of the title. Director Gia Coppola (granddaughter of Francis, niece of Sofia) deftly shapes those stories into dreamy vignettes centred around Teddy (Jack Kilmer, son of Val), a sweet, listless stoner, and April (Emma Roberts, niece of Julia), the girl he fancies from afar.

Like her aunt Sofia, Coppola has an uncanny knack for mood. The film’s atmosphere is balmy, ripe for teenage antics and anguish. We drift from the lazy after school hangout hours to the high-sexed hothouses that are teenage house parties. Coppola’s style is swoony and elegant: her camera (under the control of Autumn Durald) effortlessly glides as we follow Teddy on his skateboard or April on the soccer field. She’s a dream with actors too: Kilmer and Robert’s tender, heartfelt performances give real depth to familiar coming-of-age pangs and pinings.