Review of Paranoid Park (2007) by Chris K — 03 Jan 2009

The last few Gus Van Sant films that I have seen were all part of the filmmakers' Death Trilogy, which are best characterized as a plotless trip through uncomfortability. Elephant was like experiencing the Columbine tragedy, Last Days a pseudo re-enactment of Kurt Cobain's demise and Gerry a battle of attrition, both in the desert onscreen and in the theater as a viewer. So, when going to see Paranoid Park, I was expecting to be somewhat uncomfortable with the trip I was about to take. But I was pleasantly surprised by where Van Sant took me this time.

A murder mystery wrapped into the life and times of a wannabe skate punk who gets caught-up in a murder investigation, Paranoid Park utilizes a myriad of production devices to take you inside the mind of a troubled teenager. While I was expecting a meditative journey through the darkside of skateboarding, it was a surprise to get caught up in a murder mystery plot intermingled with teen skateboarder Alex's struggle to cope with his insecurities, and what he was willing to do not to have to feel.

Alex, whose journal writings help tell the story in narration, attends a very suburban High School with a few skaters that look-up to the freedom and unruly lifestyle of the homeless and runaway inhabitants of Paranoid Park, a skate park built underneath a city overpass in Portland, Oregon. It is obvious that Alex is a beginning skater and has some reservations about going to Paranoid Park for the first time. But his exposure to the park left him wanting more.

Despite being abandoned for a girl by the buddy who introduced him to Paranoid Park, Alex goes back downtown on his own at night. He sits on the sidelines until a few residents make his acquaintance and he follows one of them, Scratch, on freight train ride to get some beer. In the process, a security guard is killed and Alex must deal with the impending police investigation, while also navigating the other circumstances of his life, including sex, dating, divorce and peer pressure.

Van Sant brought his meditative style in the form of scenes of non-descript skateboarders on the streets of Portland filmed in Super 8, that serve as kind of an escapist fantasy that Alex imagines possible. But I was happier to find an interesting and twisting plot that brought me into Alex's life and thoughts while navigating the minefield of coming of age. Alex's journal writings serve as both a narrative device and healing solution to dealing with his insecurities and mistakes. He is provided with a way to deal with the crazy, messed-up things that happen in life, allowing him to finally move forward.

The acting may leave a little bit to be desired in this film, and some of the style changes in cinematography and music can be distracting, but the interesting plot, exploration of Alex's inner turmoil and redemptive message are more than enough to keep the story moving along.

The thing that makes this film for me is the way Van Sant utilizes music and cinematography to allow viewers to tap into the characters minds. His long slow motion tracking shots with a myriad of different music styles really made me think about what the characters were thinking and feeling in the moment. I really resonated with the insecurities that Alex felt about fitting in and not understanding what to do with his feelings, especially when something goes extremely wrong as a a result of a bad decision.