Review of The Paperboy (2012) by Philip P — 28 Jan 2013

Though this film will end up being the least respectable in the renaissance of Matthew McConaughey it is necessary to point out he, along with Macy Gray, are the saving grace this film needed to be rescued from the otherworldly mess it could have been and almost is.

The Paperboy is based on a 1995 novel of the same name by Pete Dexter and though I've never read the book myself I can imagine the narrative being much more satisfying when built inside the brain rather than watching this incarnation of it smoulder along until it finally becomes somewhat engaging in the final act and becomes ablaze.

Shot as a film noir full of sex and racism Lee Daniels follow up to his Oscar nominated Precious shows no signs of what made his previous film so moving. Granted, this is a different kind of movie altogether, but the subject matter could easily draw many similar themes.

In 1960's south Florida a reporter and his partner (McConaughey and David Oyelowo) come to town from Miami hoping to investigate a murder case where they believe Hillary Van Wetter (a great, but underused John Cusack) has been framed for the murder of the corrupt local sheriff.

When McConaughey's Ward Jansen arrives in town he enlists the help of his younger brother Jack (Zac Efron who is sponsored by Fruit of the Loom) and a woman who has been in contact and fallen in love with Mr.

Van Wetter while on death row, Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman). Yes, this is the movie where Kidman pees on Efron and that only serves to illustrate the trust the otherwise great cast has put in their director but what Mr.

Daniels has churned out here is an incoherent mess of a movie that drags along and feels like it is going nowhere only to fall back on twists that we can see coming from a mile away. I won't fault the film for trying as it has a clear visual style, interesting musical choices and fine performances, but when a film fails as bad as this one it is very easy to tell the difference between effort and just plain bad.