Review of Paterson (2016) by V H — 12 May 2017

Paterson (Adam Driver) is a bus driver and amateur poet in Paterson, NJ. I'm not sure if "Paterson" is his first or last name or why both he and the city spell their names with only one "t" but it's probably not important. There are lots of things in this film that aren't important even though at first they seem like they're going to be. That Jim Jarmusch is quite the trickster.

Paterson is married to a woman named Laura who spends her days decorating their home and herself and trays of cupcakes in black and white patterns. Even their English bulldog, Marvin, has a black and white collar, though he, himself, is brown and white. Paterson and Laura seem very much in love, though their verbal communication is superficial at best. It's a dynamic one might expect of a couple who only speak a few words of the other's language, though they both speak fluent English. Patterson really only expresses himself in his poetry, which he writes in a secret notebook every chance he gets and doesn't share with anybody, not even Laura.

"Paterson" (the movie) depicts a week in the life of Paterson (the man), whose routine is so unvarying and his demeanor so low-key that by day three, I started to simultaneously fear that something really terrible was going to happen or that nothing at all was ever going happen. It's the sort of movie that really grows on you if you're patient enough to stick with it through morning after morning of watching a guy eating Cheerios out of the same black and white mug. I mean, who eats cereal out of a mug anyway? The first day I assumed all of the bowls were dirty but there he was on day two eating out of the very same mug. And not one of those big round cappuccino mugs either, just a regular old mug-shaped mug.

Despite being a man of few words, Paterson gradually develops into a likeable and relatable character in a movie full of likeable and relatable characters. (I'm excluding Laura from the "relatable" category as she seems like she was plucked straight from a 50's sitcom.).

All in all, a very engrossing and enjoyable movie.