Review of The Paperboy (2012) by Liam C — 04 Dec 2013

This movie was very strange. It never bored me but I cannot say I fully enjoyed it. Part of it felt like a serious drama and in other parts it felt very silly to the point of unintentional comedy; it was an odd experience. It was uneven, to say the least. It never felt like a coherent story was being told either, it felt like we were getting bits and pieces of everybody else's stories with no introduction or closure with one story just flowing into another but with very little reason to care about any of what was going on. Now, if it was done well, having one story flow into the other naturally, it would be good because it shows skilled filmmaking but with stories that just leave you confused, it has failed before it has even begun. The stories being told seemed interesting but never really developed so just leave you wanting more. Some scenes just gave me some emotions that I don't think I've ever felt while watching a movie before. Not to spoil the movie but you will know these scenes when you see them and they are filmed in such a way that is different to everything in the film, I didn't know what to do. Should I look away? Should I laugh with it or at it? The only thing holding it together was the fantastic, solid acting by everybody involved, especially by Nicole Kidman who gives a powerhouse performance but that alone is not enough to recommend this film on any level.

This will surely become a cult classic in a few years. It has all the content of one.