Review of Paranoid Park (2007) by Robert L — 30 Nov 2009

?No one is ever ready for Paranoid Park?

Alex (Gabe Nevins) is an average teenager, his biggest passion is skateboarding which he shares with his friend, Jared (Jake Miller). Prompted by Jared suggestion the two go to the famed Paranoid Park (a skate park built illegally by other skaters with there own two hands). Alex is timid at first, but he instantly identifies with the collection of misfits that are to be found at the park, and knows this is where he belongs.

From the outset of Paranoid Park we are brought into a quite world with distinct moments of noise or action, this is Gus Van Sant?s world. This Is Alex?s world too, and from the start to the end of Paranoid Park San?t makes us empathize and understand the protagonist, Alex.

But Gus isn?t foolish or narrow minded in Paranoid Park he makes us care for each character presented to us in trun, even down Alex?s dad, who is only shown for a single scene. Sant brings us into Alex?s world, he makes us understand how Alex feels, this is where Paranoid Parks true power is. Paranoid Park reaches out to us individually, it talks to the part of us that knows how it feels to be isolated and distant from everyone around us. Alex reflects to us what we have all felt at some point in time. The feeling that we are completely alone in the world and nobody cares.

Sant?s directing of Park is also t be marveled. He utilizes an armature shooting style, but interbreeds this with a documentary take of stock footage, which can be compared to the that found in Lords Of Dogtown. Gus Van Sant?s shows teen angst with disconnection from others in astounding beauty.

The soundtrack reflects the world Alex lives in it is a compilation of subdued noises and thoughts, it compliments the conflict in Alex. The music tuneful and confusing, you can never quite pick out a single line from the tracks which are not main stream. The continual switches between rap, country and western, hard rock and classical could have been a mistake but with a visionary like Gus Van Sant?s they compliment each other succinctly.

Paranoid Park is the story of supposed to the story of Alex, who is simply emptying out his mind, and that?s just how it feels. For the first 20 minuets of Paranoid there will be a degree of confusion. We are shown distorted footage repeatedly that seems to not connect with the scene before. Until we realize that we are seeing the same footage again and again because Alex is thinking about it more then once. A gusty move by Sant?s but it pays dividends.

Paranoid Park is one of the few films of the last decade that is both beautiful and though provoking simultaneously. One of the keys to this is that?s cast are inexperienced. The Gabe Nevins looks insecure and unsettled on camera would be a setback in any other movie, in Paranoid it plays more in the movies favor. His insecurities compliment the rest of the cast in their inadequacies. Not that the cast do have inadequacies but there characters defiantly do. Each having a slightly different problem and point to them, each unique in their troubles.

Paranoid Park is s master class in how to create empathy from an audience, a true master piece. One of the most cathartic films of my generation. Not just for skateboarders for anyone who has ever been a teenager and done something they regret.