Palo Alto
2014 · Directed by Gia Coppola
Original language: English
- drama
The story
A lack of parental guidance encourages teens in an affluent California town to rebel with substance abuse and casual sex.
What it’s like
Hazy, sun-washed afternoons and dusky suburban evenings, shot with a soft, drifting camera that lingers on the in-between moments: a skate ramp in the late light, a parked car with the windows down, a kitchen with the blinds half drawn. The palette runs to faded golds, dusty pastels and the cool blue of night, with grain that gives the images a warm, slightly bruised texture. Long unhurried takes and loose handheld framing keep you close to the teenagers without ever tipping into urgency. The score is sparse and dreamy, with mellow guitar and quiet electronic textures that sit under long stretches of silence. Vibe: languid, drifting, quietly melancholy, the kind of listless summer that feels both free and empty. It suits a slow weekend afternoon or a late night alone. Intensity is moderate: teen drinking, drug use, and sexual situations, including an older-man, younger-girl relationship handled with unease rather than titillation; there is some reckless driving and a few tense moments, but no graphic violence or gore. For viewers who like patient, atmospheric coming-of-age films and can sit with aimlessness and emotional discomfort.
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