'Paper Towns' review by Jake Boyle
The Fault In Our Stars worked, so don't fix it, right? Take the same screenwriters, the same producers and the same Nat Wolff to another of John Green's books, call it a day. That's not intended to denigrate the effort that was presumably put into making the film, nor are the tones of the two films especially similar, but the film does have an air of confidence surrounding it that feels like a major contributor to some of its deepest flaws.
Unfortunately, one of those flaws would be the casting of Nat Wolff, who not only fails to summon up any of the charm he displayed in The Fault In Our Stars but frequently appears so lifeless and neutral that at times I genuinely questioned director Jake Schreier's decision to accept his performance as any sort of attempt at acting. It is in keeping with his role as the everyman, but there's an important difference between ordinary and boring. This further scuppers an already awkwardly judged sense of comic timing, and very few of the film's verbal jokes manage to raise a laugh. The story's narrative contains a lot of changes of pace, which doesn't seem to have been taken into account by anybody - the road trip sequence, wherein there is a concentrated and stable group dynamic, is by far the most enjoyable section of the movie, but there aren't any other scenes where any dialogue or performing seems to flow comfortably. Cara Delevingne acquits herself well with an endearing performance in the first act that is let down by the film's ending (coming up shortly) and in a more energetic film, Justice Smith's droll delivery would have been phenomenally funny; as it is, his low-key excellence doesn't have the counterpart necessary to make it properly work.
I don't have much time for book purists, but decisions made with the presentation of the film's ending, to my mind, utterly destroy the central concept and arguably the entire point of the story. Without wanting to give too much away, the protagonist's crucial mistake is treated not with any degree of hostility, bitterness or resentment, but instead immediate sympathy and an understanding correction, undermining the whole narrative purpose for having him make said mistake. It's a shame because it comes right after the movie was really beginning to build up some steam and genuine investment, something which the first hour, while more or less an agreeable experience, was sorely lacking. With this subversive moment of realisation at the end being so dulled down and mollified (which is saying something given than Green can hardly be considered a radical writer), all that is really left is a pile of tired high school movie clichés performed with very little charisma and inventiveness, although up until the catastrophic ending, the emotional tone of the movie is astutely constructed in its atmosphere and in one confessional bathtub scene actually manages to be thoughtful and touching for a brief period.
My immediate reaction to Paper Towns was a sense of overwhelming disappointment but tinged with enjoyment at particular elements, but the more I consider it the more negative my opinion becomes. Justice Smith did seem very promising, but so did Nat Wolff in The Fault In Our Stars, yet here he is giving one of the worst performances of 2015 so far. The road trip segment of the movie was funny, but it's still riddled with familiar mawkish sentiments, and a cameo is a pretty cheap way to gain laughs. There are fleeting moments and even whole scenes in which this film is good, both on dramatic and comedic levels, but the lack of imagination, chemistry and insight that possesses the majority of this movie means that it is, ultimately, a failure.
Unfortunately, one of those flaws would be the casting of Nat Wolff, who not only fails to summon up any of the charm he displayed in The Fault In Our Stars but frequently appears so lifeless and neutral that at times I genuinely questioned director Jake Schreier's decision to accept his performance as any sort of attempt at acting. It is in keeping with his role as the everyman, but there's an important difference between ordinary and boring. This further scuppers an already awkwardly judged sense of comic timing, and very few of the film's verbal jokes manage to raise a laugh. The story's narrative contains a lot of changes of pace, which doesn't seem to have been taken into account by anybody - the road trip sequence, wherein there is a concentrated and stable group dynamic, is by far the most enjoyable section of the movie, but there aren't any other scenes where any dialogue or performing seems to flow comfortably. Cara Delevingne acquits herself well with an endearing performance in the first act that is let down by the film's ending (coming up shortly) and in a more energetic film, Justice Smith's droll delivery would have been phenomenally funny; as it is, his low-key excellence doesn't have the counterpart necessary to make it properly work.
I don't have much time for book purists, but decisions made with the presentation of the film's ending, to my mind, utterly destroy the central concept and arguably the entire point of the story. Without wanting to give too much away, the protagonist's crucial mistake is treated not with any degree of hostility, bitterness or resentment, but instead immediate sympathy and an understanding correction, undermining the whole narrative purpose for having him make said mistake. It's a shame because it comes right after the movie was really beginning to build up some steam and genuine investment, something which the first hour, while more or less an agreeable experience, was sorely lacking. With this subversive moment of realisation at the end being so dulled down and mollified (which is saying something given than Green can hardly be considered a radical writer), all that is really left is a pile of tired high school movie clichés performed with very little charisma and inventiveness, although up until the catastrophic ending, the emotional tone of the movie is astutely constructed in its atmosphere and in one confessional bathtub scene actually manages to be thoughtful and touching for a brief period.
My immediate reaction to Paper Towns was a sense of overwhelming disappointment but tinged with enjoyment at particular elements, but the more I consider it the more negative my opinion becomes. Justice Smith did seem very promising, but so did Nat Wolff in The Fault In Our Stars, yet here he is giving one of the worst performances of 2015 so far. The road trip segment of the movie was funny, but it's still riddled with familiar mawkish sentiments, and a cameo is a pretty cheap way to gain laughs. There are fleeting moments and even whole scenes in which this film is good, both on dramatic and comedic levels, but the lack of imagination, chemistry and insight that possesses the majority of this movie means that it is, ultimately, a failure.
Always interesting to see how the film of a good book pans out and sounds as if this has been a bit of a let down. Given the greatness of TFIOS, the bar & expectations were high, would it still be a disappointment if seen without any prior knowledge?.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite possible that it would play better. If the ending comes as surprise, it might still get across some of the core message of the story - but having already experienced one method of conveying that message, it's hard not to view this interpretation as vastly inferior.
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