The Broken Tower 2012

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Despite earnest attempts, Mr. Franco can't bring the fervency of Crane's poetry to life in the extensive recitations. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It's a pensive and heartfelt movie, assuming that you let yourself get caught up in its moody-minimalist, more-visual-than-verbal style. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: Not a heady experience like many of the semi-experimental 1960s films he emulates. Instead, it's mostly a tedious chore, much akin to listening poetry you don't much like. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: You should be prepared for some high-minded pretension, lots of self-consciously arty shots, and long stretches of apparently profound nothingness. Read more

Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: The technique - and this movie is about nothing if not technique, both Crane's and the filmmaker's - isn't particularly successful. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: The Broken Tower feels unique as a young man's tribute to an adventuresome, doomed soul. Read more

John Anderson, Variety: Though clearly besotted with Crane's poetry, the writer-director-star never achieves full immersion in the man's life or work; the sense is of people playing a very cerebral game of dress-up. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: Sincere, amateurish, and misguided. Read more