LFF 2013 - Kill Your Darlings

It almost seems a blessing of sorts that Kill Your Darlings experienced issues initially with financing. After all, had the original cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Chris Evans and Ben Whishaw been banded together, we may have had a completely different film altogether. Thankfully, things changed along the way, and, spearheaded by Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan, Kill Your Darlings instead results in an utterly immersive and exceptional debut feature from director John Krokidas.

Based on a true story, the film tracks the early days of famous poet Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe) as he works his way through freshman year at Colombia in 1944. Plagued by his unstable mother's condition and his father's unwillingness to help her, Allen's life is about to change when he meets the rebellious Lucien Carr (DeHaan), as well as fellow students William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston).

Initially a student more interested in producing his poetry and working continuously on his typewriter, Ginsberg is soon introduced into a world filled with drugs, alcohol and rebellion as the intrigue of Lucien and his friends turns into a whole new outlook on life for Allen. Witnessing the craziness of Lucien's life, Allen partakes in copious drug and alcohol-fuelled days and gradually sees himself being drawn in by the aura of the volatile Lucien.

As he gets more involved with this wild individual, the figure of David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall) makes himself known and adds a whole new dynamic to this blossoming relationship. Lucien cannot rid himself of this man, but there may be one way he possibly could have him out of his life for good...

A sheer joy for so many reasons, Kill Your Darlings is one of those films that is extremely difficult not to like. For a debut director to tackle an era that has so often been imitated in many a film gone by is one thing, but to have big expectations upon him, especially with a superb cast at hand, Krokidas has created a hugely memorable film outing that will certainly have the audience searching up the main protagonists upon exiting the movie.

Why the praise, I hear you say? Well, Krokidas' directing talents are clear for the eye to see in many an instance. Firstly, the use of music in the film is a wonderful device to set the tone and introduce us to the Beat Generation, with toe-tapping tunes and even our characters dancing away to the wonderful music. His use of surroundings is also inspired, whether the interior of the very homes of individuals, the realms of the library, or the party locations, each have their own quirkiness and nail the 1944 feel wonderfully.

Where Krokidas does revel is in his standout scenes, with so many to note and admire. From a scene where the effects of drugs slow down those around Allen and his friends, creating almost an alternate world for them for an instance, to three intermittent scenes all sharing one key similarity, the director cleverly uses his expertise impressively. Such are the nature of the scenes that the actors involved all share a strong connection and that bond is extremely difficult to break throughout the film.

At the core of the film, Dane DeHaan and Daniel Radcliffe both excel in the shells of two great individuals. DeHaan once again proves he is the best young actor around currently, with his unhinged rebel Lucien, while Radcliffe impresses with his American accent and his spawning from timid young man to confident admirer of DeHaan's aura. Their chemistry is at times utterly electric, and the moments in which we witness the two of them gradually acknowledging their growing connection are spellbinding.

As well as DeHaan and Radcliffe, the supporting cast are also on the top of their game. Ben Foster is once again the perfect co-star as the unsettling yet massively interesting William, with Huston's Jack a nice dynamic character thrown in, and the likes of Elizabeth Olsen and David Cross both throwing in tidy less prominent characters into the mix.

A hugely successful first outing for director John Krokidas culminates in Dane DeHaan producing yet another spectacular performance and Daniel Radcliffe showing that he has the acting muscle to remove any previous typecasts with relative ease. Kill Your Darlings is bold, powerful and beautifully presented drama that is simply impossible to ignore. A must-see at all costs.