PALO ALTO

Palo Alto weaves together three stories of teenage lust, boredom and self-destruction: April, torn between an illicit flirtation with her coach and a crush on sweet stoner Teddy; Emily, who offers sexual favours to any boy to cross her path; and Fred, whose behaviour may or may not be sociopathic.

You’re certainly familiar with Francis and Sofia Coppola, but there’s already a third generation bursting onto the scene. In her directorial debut, Gia—granddaughter of “the Godfather”—assuredly adapts James Franco’s short stories to deliver an exquisite, darkly moving portrait of high-school life.