Review of Paranoid Park (2007) by Josephg. — 29 Mar 2008
I'm sorry to say that despite what is a very very fine movie, some of the acting (particularly by the protagonists buddy) is so bloody awful as to remove any possibility of immersion. And in such a beautiful film, and so quiet and so unique, immersion is offered up and laid out and then stunted by such poor acting.
The aesthetic of amateurs that Van Sant likes so much means that some forgiveness is necessary while watching his movies because some skills slip through the cracks, particularly because bad acting for his actors just means we're seeing more of who the actor really is as an individual; and that works great.
But in this movie, it was so opposed to both who the character could've possibly been meant to be, and whoever this person was off camera that it entered into some kind of world where at times there was no believing the movie and no comfort in the sudden recognition that you're sitting in a theater watching it.
Sorry, long way of saying that some of the acting was unforgivably awful.
This review of Paranoid Park (2007) was written by Josephg. on 29 Mar 2008.
Paranoid Park has generally received positive reviews.
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