Review of Paterson (2016) by John M — 20 May 2017
Paterson is a movie for film lovers. Jim Jarmusch once again creates a reality I want to live in- one of beautiful simplicity and deep emotional resonance. Humorous on two levels, Adam Driver plays a bus driver named Paterson living in Paterson, New Jersey.
He lives with his girlfriend Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) and their little dog Marvin. Paterson's compulsively structured life is made bearable by his equally structured habit of poetically documenting it in his "secret book".
As Paterson composes his poems, they are written out word for word on the screen; revealing the wonder and joy that exists within everyday life. Jarmusch's knack for playing temperamentally disparate characters against each other yields maximum results here, as the endlessly charming and creative Laura unexpectedly meshes with the phlegmatic Paterson.
While the lingering camerawork and endearing quirkiness echo some of his previous work, this is easily the most focused and lovely story of his career.
This review of Paterson (2016) was written by John M on 20 May 2017.
Paterson has generally received very positive reviews.
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