Spring Breakers - B

Rated R, 92 minutes

Dark shades of fun and crime in "Spring Breakers"

James Franco

The vivid tale "Spring Breakers" isn't what you think. The entertaining film is part college party film and part crime film as it explores the darker aspect and the costs to having fun. Not all of it works perfectly but it's still intriguing nonetheless with a stunning turn by a well-known actor. College pals Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Cotty (Rachel Korine) and Faith (Selena Gomez) have been best friends since grade school and they'll do anything to go to St. Petersburg, Florida for a fun spring break excursion. They end up getting in trouble and sucked into a dark world of drugs and crime, thanks to a rapper named "Alien" (James Franco). Directed and written by Harmony Korine, best known for writing "Kids," "Spring Breakers" is a well-acted, well-put together film that is remarkably effective at showing the darker, hedonistic side of partying in Florida during spring break. It also provides a chance for a couple of wholesome Disney girls, Hudgins and Gomez, to play against type; Gomez in particular is a standout in a supporting role as the voice of reason. But the most memorable part is Franco's creepy turn as the gangsta rapper thug who invites the girls into his world of crime; it's a mesmerizing turn and something quite different for the actor who doesn't typically play these types of roles. Some of the plotting is too predictable, particularly in its final chapters, but the entertaining, dark "Spring Breakers" is worth a look.

Wes's Grade: B