Sal (2013)

Sal feels less like a conventional biopic and more like an intimate, affectionate vigil—an evening spent in the company of a talented, complicated artist as the world around him hums with rehearsal-room chatter and old Hollywood ghosts. James Franco directs with a small-scale warmth that lets moments breathe, and Val Lauren’s performance gives Sal Mineo a lived-in humanity that’s tender without turning him into a saint. The tone is quiet, melancholy, and oddly comforting, as if the film is trying to grant its subject the dignity of being seen up close, not just remembered as a headline. It’s not for everyone—its TV-MA violence and deliberately modest, observational approach can be heavy—but if you’re drawn to character-driven dramas and behind-the-curtain showbiz stories, it’s a moving, worthwhile watch.

Sal is clearly trying to be a quiet, elegiac portrait of Sal Mineo’s last day, more mood piece than traditional biopic, and you can feel the intention to honor a forgotten figure. The problem is it often plays clunky and amateurish, with formless, hard-to-read scenes that don’t add up to much insight about who Mineo was beyond the tragedy. If you’re hoping for a coherent narrative, sharp character work, or a revealing look at his life and career, this will likely feel inconsequential and frustrating. Still, if you’re patient with experimental, impressionistic filmmaking and simply want to sit in a somber atmosphere leading to an inevitably grim end (including graphic imagery), you may find it intermittently affecting.