Paterson
Japanese Poet: "A bus driver
named Paterson...this is very poetic."
"Paterson" is directed by Jim
Jarmusch ("Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai", "Dead Man",
"Broken Flowers") and stars Adam Driver as Paterson, Golshifteh
Farahani as Laura, Barry Shabaka Henley as Doc, Chasten Harmon as Marie, and
William Jackson Harper as Everett.
In the small town of Paterson, a bus
driver, also named Paterson, runs through his daily routine: Get up, go to
work, walk the dog, go to a bar, go home and then go to sleep. Monday through
Friday are shown; he does the same thing every day, as mundane as it is.
However, he writes poetry every day, as well. He writes about what he sees. As
boring as that sounds, this film shows that even the littlest things in life
can be beautiful.
I was fortunate enough to get to watch "Paterson"
at the Mill Valley Film Festival in early October. I put off writing the review
mainly so that people could get a chance to see it in the limited theaters it's
in. I've wanted to write about it ever since. Now, I get to say that
"Paterson" is unlike any movie I have seen in the past decade. There
is no quarrel with a villain or an antagonist. There is no clear conflict that
Paterson has to overcome. This movie tells the story of a week in a life of an
ordinary man writing poetry about the things he sees. That may sound annoying
to some, and I can't change that. This movie might not be for everyone. For the
ones who are tired of a structured story that we've all seen a thousand times,
this is the movie that'll take you out of that experience. It's an
inspirational homage to what the average day is and it's beautiful. This is
also the best I've seen Adam Driver. His performance is not going to be
nominated for an Oscar (the Academy wouldn't go for this), but it's subtle and
realistic enough to invite the audience into his head; to see and hear what he
sees and hears. This is what allows his poetry to jump off the page and onto
the screen.
A man sitting on a bench. Seems boring? Write about it. I guarantee what you write and describe will make your day just a little better.
This brings me to the element that makes "Paterson"
so great: the poetry. The poetry is sincere, but not over-the-top sappy. Paterson
writes about his wife sometimes. Sometimes it's about his passengers on the bus
or about an idea that's been stuck in his head. The marvelous technique used to
express Paterson's poetry to us is Paterson talking in the third person. You
can hear his poetic thoughts. The words pop on the screen with handwritten
white font. Jim Jarmusch's choices to create a vivid telling of poetry in a day
is a minor detail that makes all the difference. My only dispute with
"Paterson" is that the replay value isn't too high for me. Hypothetically,
if I were on my couch eager to watch a movie, "Paterson" wouldn't be
high on my list. I mean, as good as it is, once you see it, you wouldn't really
crave to see it again. I could say that about every movie, but this one I mean
it especially. I think Jarmusch substituted story for replay. A good choice,
but a little disappointed about that.
If you get a chance to see
"Paterson", go see it. It gives you a break from the beat-for-beat
action and plots that are in every movie. I had a great time laughing and smile
throughout the film. Although I wouldn't need to see it a second time, I'm
elated that I've gotten to see a refreshing film that doesn't rely on anything
but a week in the life of a bus driver. Sounds weird to say, right? Well,
poetry, of any kind, and film mix together like paint and an empty canvas.
4.8/5
PRO
- Poetry through boring days isn't as boring as you might think
- Adam Driver's subtle and humble performance
- Jim Jarmusch's directing choices with how to present the poetry
CON
- Not a very high replay value
"Paterson" is rated R for some language
Click here to watch the trailer
"Paterson" is in select theaters now
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