Review of Paper Moon (1973) by Sherry L — 19 Jan 2011

One of my all-time favorite movies!

Ryan O'Neal and his daughter Tatum stars in this fantastic movie about a rather odd con duo.

Set in the early 1930s, Tatum plays nine year old Addie, who has just lost her mother. Addie's mother was known as a no-good, promiscuous woman who was never married and nobody knows who Addie's father is.

The plan is that a good friend of Addie's deceased mother, named Mose, will bring Addie to the railway station so that she can move to her aunt who lives across the country.

But Addie is a very clever girl with a hell of a temper, chain smoking and dressed like a boy, and she gets furious when learning that Mose is trying to cheat her on money that was supposed to be given to her. The situation ends up with the unlikely couple start a odyssée through America in order to get Addie to her aunt. And they swindle every store, widow and whoever crosses their path.

Shot in black and white, which gives the picture a genuine sentiment and experience. Great direction by Peter Bogdanovic, but the true star of the show is of course little Tatum O'Neal who actually won an oscar for her performance as the badass Addie.

Watched this movie for the first time when I was 10 years old, and immediately fell in love.

A masterpiece don't always have to be indigestible and epic, they can sometimes be simple. But you always know a masterpiece when you see one! ;).

You better watch this, or I'm afraid you're gonna miss one of the greatest movies to date.