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Paranoid Park [2007]
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Yawn
Review date: 2008-11-09 Rating: 2 out of 10
This film is just dire.
Not only is it painfully slow, disjointed and lacking in any substance of any sort at all, it is ultimately pointless.
The story in short? A teenager accidently causes the death of a security guard and then spends the rest of the film discombobulated by his own actions. He finally comes to terms with the "horror" of the death by writing a cathartic letter to a friend which he then symbolically burns.
If only life was that easy!
The director has attempted to make a powerful film out of a simple story but has failed dismally to create any kind of tension and the film is ultimately just dull. The film is meant to build to the "shocking" death of the security guard but seriously if you are moved by that absolutely rediculous scene then I give up.
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Reviews
American Hoodies
Review date: 2008-10-28 Rating: 2 out of 10
I found this DVD almost lifeless. It's central character had as much charisma as potato and actually looked like a pale version of a King Edwards.
The boy had just killed a man (accidentally) and showed no emotion what so ever apart from one incident when he was sick after seeing a police picture of the bisected body of the victim.
Actually, I take it all back, he played an excellent part of a teenage hoodie ...... miserable, ugly, and lifeless.
Bad Acting But Its Still A Good Film
Review date: 2008-09-14 Rating: 8 out of 10
I went to the cinema to see Paranoid Park at the on a whim after I had been refused a ticket to see Hostel Part 2, I didn't have a clue what it was about. So I sat down in the cinema chair not sure what to expect.
Paranoid Park is about a sullen teenage boy who is racked by guilt as a result of accidentally killing someone.
As far as the acting is concerned its not good at all, I don't see the star of the show (Gabe Nevins) getting a decent role again unless the very laid back Gus Van Sant casts him. I think there is a great likeness between Larry Clark & Gus Van Sant both their styles of directing make their films have an almost documentary feel to them, they're also both fans of ameteur actors (clearly Clark is better at choosing them.) Although despite my ranting the acting is bad in a good way if that makes any sense at all. The fact that the acting isn't good doesn't take from the movie.
The lead character is supposed to have a hidden depth which somehow comes across well.
You're probably wondering why I bothered to give this film four star's because all I'm doing is running it down, but this is a great scater movie & it also deals with all those normal teen issues, like divorce & being pressurised into sex.
I think for me the best thing about Paranoid Park is that you can actually believe that something like this could happen in real life.
My advice is check it out, rent it, buy it whatever. Its a good movie. I think Gus Van Sant is a really smart guy & he probably knew that by casting bad actors it would someohow accelerate the depth & that behind- the-eyes emotion that the film manages to achieve.
Regrets, Regrets.
Review date: 2008-08-23 Rating: 4 out of 10
Y'know what I regret?
I regret believing that this was actually going to be a decent movie, or that Van Sant had taken his recent style and 'notched it up'. I loved Elephant, Last Days and had a lingering crush on some of his other films.
I remembered Gerry, remembered how I felt it was one long drawn out joke and Van Sant must've been making a pastiche of his own work in an attempt to play with the critics. So, I cast Gerry out of my mind and warmly remembered the others, felt a rush of excitement even up to the point where the sound collages and imagery at the start of this film collide..
And really, if you do like this movie, watch it while wearing fat chunky headphones - the immersion into Van Sant's soundscape is one of the best aspects of this film.
Van Sant hasn't lost some of his best qualities: the shots linger much longer than traditionally welcome, the sounds and sights are simultenously sharp, colourful, real and startling. The characterisation is decent, the relative unknown actors aren't awful and the dialogue is realistic (another decent aspect of Van Sant is the broken dialogue in one scene, and reitteration of that dialogue again in full - like a memory - used best in Elephant).
The problem with this film is, like mentioned by another reviewer, it's paltry stab at some deep philosophical concept of guilt, washed away by the rather obvious 'letter writing' idea is laughably naive. We follow Alex, he tells a vacuous story (curiously arranged backwards, clearly now only realised that way because otherwise the audience may realise how little of a story there actually is: while you might've thought it was a clever device, it wasn't)and there was so much room for real guilt.
If Van Sant's style is useful for anything it's lingering on the infintessimal gestures: how plainly 'awesome' it would've been for Alex to go through at least ten minutes of real torture.
(that said, the whole minute of guilt he went through was superb, the sounds flowed into my ears like liquid candy)
I'd give this film nearly 4 stars, or even 5, if this was a young director's first stab at an indie flick. After all, it is better than most can ponder about while on the toilet, but for Van Sant he should've left the idea scribbled on the back of his Daily Whatever.
Pseudo-Intellectual, Sub-Philosophical existential angst for the new middle class mtv generation.
Casting, storytelling and music
Review date: 2008-06-11 Rating: 10 out of 10
Three elements work together in this film to create a near masterpeice. I am not a fan of art films but this film succeeds where many others have failed. The casting in this film contributes greatly to the authenticity of the story. So many films about teenagers have them behaving like really really cool twenty somethings. An example would be Chumscrubber. But teenagers aren't really cool or twenty something. They're ackward and different than adults. The cast in this film are real kids who often adlib their own dialogue instead of reading lines written by baby boomers. In this film adults are abscured and the focus is on the young people and their unique experiences. The storytelling is patient and that is probably what bothers a lot of the reviewers. There are no contrived action sequences with pumped up music. This is the story of a teenage kid hiding a secret. There really isn't a need to speed up the action. The music that accompanies the drama fits the setting perfectly. Elliot Smith began his music career in Portland where the film is set. Elliot's lonely style didn't win the artist any friends but it fits the struggle of the lead in this film. This is a compelling and interesting film that uses a brilliant and authentic cast of kids and an appropriate and beautiful soundtrack to tell a unique story. Overall a really great film for anyone with an open mind and an eagerness to see less ordinary films.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Gabe Nevins
Lauren McKinney
Taylor Momsen
Scott Green
Jake Miller
Creators:
Jake Miller (Primary Contributor)
Lauren McKinney (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Tartan Video
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
EAN: 5023965382320
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-04-28
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 84 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2007
Language: English (Unknown)