Review of Paranoid Park (2007) by Thomas G — 05 Jan 2012

This is a film of a teenager named Alex, who is constantly bothered throughout the film by an event that happened near his skate park (Paranoid Park) that leads to the brutal death of a rail guard by train. However, the true plot of this film is exploring the life of an anxious teenager, and that is why I love this film. While it does take it's time with the development of the story and the development of the camera shooting, the director Gus Van Sant (known mostly for Milk) is the one to praise. He is the rare director that understands teenagers, and you could tell that he probably did talk to some to make this film. You know, he isn't one of those directors who says "I love teens/kids" but he never actually took time to talk to them. Speaking of which, I am stunned by the amount of talent that they were able to get for this film. The teenage actors are convincing, and their dialogue sounds like what a teenager would say and think.

Despite my praise of this film, I do have to admit that it is a quiet film that does what it wishes, but it seems almost deceptively quiet. But that isn't enough for you to completely turn away. So an overall summary is this: great direction, great cinematography, great acting, and an accurate portrayal despite its quietness.