Review - Paranoid Park; or, Figuring Out Just How Much the Little Stuff Don't Matter (2007)
Text Aloud (6:15) version removed (for licensing reasons). Audio version to be done (eventually).
This is essentially a repost from my Letterboxd review last year (before this blog’s creation). I just love this film so much that my review got out of hand lengthy to be point of being admittedly unreasonable for Letterboxd’s formatting.
WARNING: Having watched the film long before seeing the trailer, I highly recommend avoiding as much info about its plot as possible. That includes the premise, trailer, YouTube comments, and other reviews.
Slight Spoilers
(page break included just before Minor Spoilers)
First of all, let me tell you about dat opening. The film starts with a weird compilation of different songs set to a seemingly insignificant time-lapse of some river-over-passing bridge (I learned later that it's the St. Johns Bridge). Then the opening goes on for three more minutes surprisingly (and somehow beautifully). It's strange and a little unsettling. In hindsight, its probably a way to prepare the viewer for the strangeness of the film.
Now for the plot. This is a coming of age story about a kid who, after a traumatic experience, is dealing with the realization that shit don't matter. Girlfriends, divorce, teachers--all that shit. It's unfortunate that he had to be scarred for life only to effectively start growing up too quickly, but that's life for you. It just doesn't give a shit. And as the movie progresses we realize, to some degree, that neither does he.
While I found the back and forth time jumps to be confusing at first, I eventually got used to and learned to appreciate them as part of the cinematic experience. It's like you're on this confusing journey with Alex, but homeboy keepin' secrets from everybody so you're trying to figure out what happened and why he's doing the things he's doing.
There are a number of scenes showing him just walking around as if part of his daily routine of sorts, but it seems more like an attempt to escape his concerns. This is quite the contrast to a scene that chronologically happens beforehand—the scene of him driving to the park. I found myself appreciating the intermission that this was. While it was odd at first, like the ladder climb in Metal Gear Solid 3, it doubled as a relaxing moment of subtle tension and an opportunity to really see him, especially as a regular kid.
Now about the cinematography. I like to take screenshots of films, and this one is full of screenshot-worthy scenes, especially during key conversations. Namely, the one between him and the officer. The cinematographer does everything right during that questioning scene. And dat ever encroaching camera? Damn, that's a nice shot. Don't even get me started on dat sound effect.
Speaking of sound, Paranoid Park does something unusual with its soundtrack to the point of being rather experimental, especially when certain sounds come into sudden focus as if painfully yanked straight from Alex's head in order to let us into a place he's keeping guarded from everyone else. With the way things are done, I was left throughout the film to wonder what was with the voice and sounds blended into the music. Honestly, I feel like there's more to the soundtrack and sound effects than I realize.
Similar to Wanuri Kahiu's Rafiki (2018), Paranoid Park has dialogue scenes without lip movement. I counted two in total. The second one was well enough hidden, but the first seemed unintentionally left noticeable. Either way, they both felt artful and experimental.
Speaking of dialogue, there are a few moments where characters say unnatural lines for their age. I found them very noticeable and a little distracting in terms of believability, but they don't ruin the scenes so it's forgivable.
If there's anything I must critique it's the fact that they're obviously teenagers until half-way through. That is to say most of their acting is rather raw and without projected character. Sometimes this works in such a way that the film seems more stylized. Other times, they're obviously teenagers. Except for Macy and Jennifer, though. They felt more natural, especially Jennifer. Speaking of it working, I suddenly remember his little brother. That kid's voice was such that it seemed as if there was something wrong with his mic. He only had a couple of scenes, so I never got used to it.
Minor Spoilers
