Written and Directed by: Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney
Cast: Jeff Daniels, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Lisa Kudrow, Kieran Culkin
Comedic Drama
Richard (Jeff Daniels), a failed middle-aged novelist quirky in his immaturity as contrasted to his wife (Lisa Kudrow), a physician who embodies the ultra-successful adult persona.
Richard embarks on a month-long trip to Long Island's pristine winter setting, a self imposed solitude, to lift his "writer's block". During his stay, he rides around on a child-size bike, a symbol of the child persona that engulfs this 50+ year-old man. While on a trip to town Richard befriends, and hires as his babysitter, Abby (Emma Stone) - a 17 year-old victim of childhood trauma that has left her accepting a masochistic male companion even though or rather because he degrades and hurts her.
The comedic element is mostly based on the contract between Richard and others. Richard relies heavily on his imaginary friend, a costumed superhero known as Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds) whom no one other than Richard sees, but his wife knows about. Abby's equivolent "super man" is a fellow ex-"loony bin" friend who follows her everywhere.
Given the details of the plot it is difficult to anticipate that this usual older man/very young girl scenario is a film worth seeing. But this film is very much worth seeing because the dialogue and the hook, an extinct bird, are so compelling that it raises the film into the realm of Great.
Paper Man's extinct bird is America, a country which has outgrown its 'super power of the world' status and along with it the comic book character Superman or Captain Excellent. Richard's problems and our problem are twofold: In a society that has no factories, that makes no thing, what do we do with our Hands? What can we make - Origami, slice up fish, sofas out of books.............nothing of substance, of inherent worth. We are insubstantial people and what we manufacture is unhappiness and we, the denizens of this once productive, thriving super power America are becoming extinct, like the bird.
The political/emotional impact of Paper Man is immense. We are all victims - of the fallout from the cell phones/computers, all means of non communication communication. We don't even type on a substantial Corona typewriter anymore. We tap delicately on our computers, barely touching the keyboard.
The imagery is endless, delivered in the most delightful, funny interactions that resonated deeply.
It all felt so real, as if I was involved in the scene right there with the messy eating of a Lobster, the slicing up of the Fluke, the making of a sofa out of unsold books that otherwise would have remained in unopened boxes for ever and ever, and the arguments between husband and wife.... I've been there, i heard them, I've had them.
I see an average of 7 to 10 films a week, standard for today's film reviewer. But Paper Man was so rich in detail, so compelling a film that I saw it twice within three days. What else can I say?
PAPER MAN opened Friday, April 23rd
No comments:
Post a Comment