Review #3: The Paperboy

            Director Lee Daniels delivers a gritty film with an all-star cast in The Paperboy.  In the summer of 1969, journalist Ward James (Matthew McConaughey) and his writing partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) return to Ward’s hometown of Lately, Florida.  They have returned as investigators to free supposedly innocent convict Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) from jail.  They are trying to prove he did not kill a police officer, though Hillary does not seem to care much for cooperation.  All of this is done as a request by Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), an over sexed life sized Barbie who has kept up regular correspondence with Hillary, her fiancée, even though they have never met.  Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) also joins in on the investigation process, and falls madly in love with the older Charlotte along the way.  While this may seem like a traditional approach to a not so original story set in the 1960s, I found the film to be far from traditional.  The film incorporates graphic depictions of life that show the true nature of those times and part of the world.  The actors also each deliver solid performances, with Kidman and Cusack standing out.

            The film opens with the James’ family maid Anita (Macy Gray) talking about that summer in 1969 from a time assumed to be the 1980s.  The screen is black and we only hear her voice.  This gives off the impression that Anita is a major player in the film, though this is not really the case.  The beginning sequence did not really flow with the rest of the film.  I feel the introduction could have been done differently so as to not confuse and mislead the audience.  Gray, however, delivers a surprisingly emotional and honest performance.  The interaction between Gray and Efron in one of the opening scenes is one of my favorites from the film.  It shows the versatility of the actors, and introduces some comedy into an otherwise rather dark film. 

Kidman offers quite possibly her best performance in a while as a woman who embodies all that it means to be white trash.  Charlotte is in what can only be described as a very strange relationship with Hillary.  Upon visiting him in prison, Charlotte is forced to do a strip tease and have mental sex with Hillary from across the room.  Though disturbing, Kidman is a first class performer.  She plays off the perfectly set blonde wig and pounds of makeup with flawless ease and never wavers in her portrayal of this troubled, desperate, and lonely woman.  Cusack does a remarkable job at portraying a lower-than-dirt insanity case.

McConaughey’s portrayal of Ward, though well done and perfectly believable, left me wanting a deeper emotional connection.  We never learn much about Ward until the explicit scene that reveals his sexuality.  This scene was one of several that comes off a bit silly and too overdone.  There were already other issues being dealt with (race, gender), that the addition of a gay storyline was not needed.  Though it tied together the rest of the story in the end with how Yardley and Ward became writing partners, the connection between the two could have been explained in a more reasonable way.  There was just a little too much going on once this was introduced.  Similarly, a particularly potent scene involving Kidman urinating on Efron’s face was somewhat unnecessary.  While it was not as bothersome to me as it was to others, I did cringe as it was happening.  It seems Daniels was trying to accomplish too much in the way of artsy.    

            Zac Efron also delivers a solid performance, finally proving his worth on the big screen.  Though he spends a large portion of the film in his underwear or close to it, he manages to captivate and convince.  He convinces the audience that he is actually a directionless 20-year-old former swimmer searching for something more in life.  His “love affair” with Charlotte actually adds some sweetness to certain parts of the film, particularly the dancing in the rain scene.  There is also, however, an intensity to the relationship, particularly after the two engage in sex for the first time.

The film shows a darkness not explored in many other films.  We see nasty and muggy swamplands tucked deep into the woods.  We get a glimpse at the people inhabiting this area: half-naked, filthy, impoverished, and inbred.  These people are the family members of Hillary, and we are first introduced to this nasty crowd as Ward and Jack attempt to ask Hillary’s uncle a few questions about the sheriff’s murder.  There was by no means a welcome reception for them, and McConaughey and Efron effectively give off an air of fear and discomfort.  If you can see past some of the ridiculous plot points and focus on the extraordinary performances by the whole cast, the film should not disappoint.  I was entertained throughout.

Directed by: Lee Daniels

Written by: Lee Daniels, Peter Dexter

Novel by: Peter Dexter

Produced by: Ed Cathell III, Lee Daniels, Cassian Elwes, Hilary Shor

Cast: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Macy Gray, David Oyelowo, Scott Glenn

Running time: 101 minutes