Review of Paper Moon (1973) by Lyzette G — 04 Jun 2011

Paper Moon is a film set in the 1930's, during the Depression era. It follows a con man by the name of Moses Pray, and Addie Loggins, the orphaned daughter of a prostitute; both are played by real life father and daughter Ryan O'Neal and eight-year-old Tatum O'Neal. Moses may or may not be Addie's father, and is instructed to take Addie to her aunt's home, where she is to live. After eavesdropping on a conversation, Addie is led to believe that she deserves $200 in compensation for her mother's death, and they both agree to endure a journey together until Moses raises the money to give to her.

The thing that really impressed me about the film, right off the get-go, is the overall feel of it. The title alone is borrowed from the name of a jazz standard from the 30's, "It's Only a Paper Moon". It's almost unbelievable that this film is one of the 70's, because it just feels like it should be from the Golden Age, even though it takes place in the not-so-glamourous midwest. This is contributed by not only the beautiful black-and-white cinematography, but also the charming acting performances and lack of a background score (minus the moments were jazz music could be heard via radio). I would have been completely dumbfounded of its era, if not for the crafty screenplay, which could have only come from the same decade that gave us Network and The Godfather. It just all seems so old-fashioned, like the classic old Hollywood films I love so much. This may or may not have biased me towards liking Paper Moon more than I normally would've, but that's where the film has its strong points.

I could never bring myself to write an honest review of the film without mentioning one of my favorite things about it: the great acting performance by the young Tatum O'Neal. She plays the character of the tough-as-nails Addie with such an excellent amount of precision and poise; I do think she overshadows her father in this sense. In fact, such a splendid portrayal earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Although many do not think the win was completely her own (she was up against Linda Blair for The Exorcist), I do believe that her performance was special because it was not completely external. She was unmalleable when she needed to be, but also had her share of comedy and overall adorableness. After all, when it all comes down to is, she is but a little girl.

That's not to say that Ryan O'Neal's performance wasn't great. Though Moses did not have as many scene-stealing lines and shots as Addie, he was still shown as being charming, though still a bit of a wise guy. Not too far into the film, it is revealed how he makes a living: he looks up obituaries, and visits the deceased wives' homes, claiming to be a Bible salesmen. Though he is completely aware that they have died, he pretends to be oblivious of the fact and asks for their remaining payments on expensive books they have recently bought. Soon enough, Addie becomes involved in all of this. The buddy-buddy relationship between Moses and Addie is undeniable, and she soon becomes his "partner in crime", so to speak. Though this story could easily go on a predictable route and turn into a sentimental tearjerker, it avoids this at all costs. Granted, there are a few scenes that may come off as anticlimactic. Interestingly enough, though, the entire work in general is satisfying, maybe because it avoids these all-too-familiar film clichés.

Though I do believe this film is not necessarily one that everyone could love, there's not really too much to dislike about it. The black-and-white cinematography is stunning. The direction and mood gives it the atmosphere of a 30's masterpiece. At the same time, its spitfire screenplay is unique of its era, and is excellently crafted. The acting performances (primarily the debut role of Tatum O'Neal) are ones that cannot be passed up. And altogether, this is just a really cute father-daughter movie. It lacks the overt saccharine sweetness that could potentially drive it to corniness, yet is just so enjoyable. Fans of 1930's cinema could almost certainly appreciate Paper Moon, but even if this isn't the case, the average movie-goer can, more than likely, find a certain sense of satisfaction from this work of art.