Review of Paper Man

The following is a review of Paper Man. Directed by Kieran & Michele Murloney. The film revolves around Richard (Jeff Daniels), a failing writer who forms an unconventional friendship with Abby (Emma Stone), a mixed up teen. Richard must also overcome the issues facing his life using the help of his imaginary superhero friend, Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds).



Personal Issues:
The issue that struck the most responsive chord in me was the theme of simple, virtuous living as it eluded Richard in his quest to write his next book. I deduced from the film that the things that Richard was starving for in his life were the fundamental joys that so many of us fail to recognize and appreciate. Richard longed to do something meaningful with his hands; to create something that would solidify his worth as a man that has created. Also, it becomes obvious that Richard feels void because he never had any children. Watching the film I realized that Richard desired something in his life that he could be totally selfless towards. A child that he could give his whole world to as an offering of love. As a struggling writer with no children, Richard realizes that his isolation from the world lies in the fact that in his mind he has contributed nothing lasting to the world around him. Like the extinct pheasant that is the subject of his next book, Richard realizes in the film that when he dies he will take his place alongside the forgotten bird as an extinct creature lost in time. To me, this film is saying: A man defines himself by the fruits of his labor. It is the things that we pour our life, blood, and love into creating that make our stay worth while. Being a man with no children to love and having nothing to create with his hands -Richard is empty.
I believe that people can generalize this film any way that they want to. There are a lot of aspects to this movie that are of great depth and requiring of reflection. I don't know how many other people would have taken the same thought process as me about the movie, but I'm sure that if I argued my case, they would see the evidence backing my point.



Technique:
Considering how this was a film that required no really flashy special effects or clever editing, the emphasis of this portion of the review is on the music, camera work, and dialogue of the movie. I felt that one of the finest points of this film was the soundtrack. The whole film had a very "Indie" feel about it that was reflected in the soundtrack. There was a lot of simple acoustic guitar melody throughout the movie that helped to carry the feeling of quirkiness that is reflected by Richard's character. The camera work also added a great deal to the feel of the film. There were a great deal of mid range shots that were still or very slow panning during the movie. Also, a majority of shots involving dialogue between the main characters consisted of low-angle, close-ups of both characters.



Acting:
The main roles in the movie were: Richard (Jeff Daniels), a failing writer struggling with issues of worth . Richard regrets his life of lonliness and scorns the fact that he has no children, no tangible contributions to society. He fears the reality that he is the last of his bloodline and will one day become extinct and forgotten. Abby (Emma Stone), is a sharp and witty teenager who gets to know Richard when she agrees to baby sit Richard's non-existant kids. She is a rebellious youth who struggles to find a place of acceptance and love. The tragic death of her twin sister haunts her daily, as a reminder of a time when she was deathly sad with no explanation of why. Abby forms a friendship with Richard and begins to view him as the screwed-up but loving father figure that she wishes she had. Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds) is the imaginary superhero that aids Richard in his journey for wholeness. Captain Excellent speaks as the voice of reason for Richard as he tries to make sense of the new relationship he has formed with Abby. Reynold's character adds a great deal of the comic relief in the movie, adding witty suggestions and advice to Richard as he goes. I felt that all of the characters were very well cast, with Ryan Reynolds being the only actor that I felt was type cast his role because of his comical skills and superhero physique. I felt that all of the characters did an excellent job of capturing what I felt to be the essense of each character.



Plot:
The plot of the story follows Richard as he tries to get over his writer's block and write his new book about an extinct species of pheasant from the New York area with the help of his imaginary friend, Captain Excellent. Richard also takes on the task of figuring out what he is missing in his life and why he feels so unsubstantial as a man. When Richard rents a cottage in Montauk, New York he stumbles into an unlikely friendship with Abby, and confused and lonely teenager. The two of them begin hanging out together as they work together to find companionship and meaning in their lives. The two of them learn from one-another until they finally reach a place where they are able to continue on their seperate roads with a new found realization about life and what it means to be happy.

Themes:
I believe that the main theme of this film is that we all have a need in our lives for a relationship that means more to us than we matter to ourselves. As a man, Richard realized that he wasn't complete because he had nothing substantial to give to anyone. And what's worse, he had no one to whom he could give his love and dedicate his life. Richard lived a life of isolation that left him seperated from the the types of meaningful relationships that he so desperately longed for. This film also carried a message of people shedding their old crutches and eliminating things from their past that enable them to continue living in isolation.

Genre:
The first descriptor that comes to mind when I try to describe this movie is uniquely an "indie film", which it is, but I know that that doesn't really suffice as a genre. So, I would have to classify this film as a drama. There are a lot of very funny moments in the film that add a great comedic element to it, but the struggles facing the characters definitley qualify it as a drama. In this film, like many drama, we see a lot of dialogue and reflective monologues that give a great deal in the way of character development. This film also captures the internal struggles of the characters, something characteristic of a drama. I believe that this genre is popular today because of the way it allows the audience to, at the very least, understand the character, if not sympathize with them.

Representation:
This film is very narrow in its representation of different groups of people. All of the characters depict fairly stereotypical white people who are neither extremely rich nor extremely poor. Yet, the movie does a good job of desciribing the character types of a middle aged man in a mid-life crisis struggling with his identity, and the typical rebellious teenage girl.

Ideology:
I believe that this film challenges the cultural belief that people find true happiness in having monetary security and a life of privelege and ease. This film tries to show audiences that true happiness comes from the things in life that we love and invest our love and energy into, such as: a skilled craft made with your hands and hard work, or a child whom you can love more than anything else in the world.

Overall, Paper Man, directed by Kieren & Michele Murloney, is a very enjoyable movie. The film is loaded with moments of witty humor and insight into life. I would highly recommend the film to anyone who enjoys off-beat films with a deeper meaning. I hope the rest of you enjoyed your respective films as well!

-Sam P.