REVIEW: PAPER TOWNS
Though this isn't as impressive because most handlers of a Tumblr account have likely achieved this as well, I'm very proud to say I've read nearly all of author John Green's work; I'm missing a short story he did for the compilation book "Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances." Green's work, like I'm positive his countless YouTube projects, are compulsively enjoyable. He combines awkward teenage realism, highlighting hilarious situations that might be mundane otherwise, but in his hands come out swimmingly, with ultra cool characters the teenagers and other who read his work aspire to be. Maybe it's Hazel Grace Lancaster, brought to beautiful life by Shailene Woodley in last year's ultimate date movie The Fault in Our Stars. (I always sing the title to the tune of Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars" for some reason, and now that you've read this maybe you will, too.) Maybe it's the titular Alaska in "Looking for Alaska," an enigmatic vixen who might share a little DNA with our (pro? ant?)-agonist of Paper Towns: one Margo Roth Spiegelman.
Even though some of Green's main characters are typically straight white males (it's so nice seeing minorities getting a spotlight in mainstream media) they all have wonderful kinks and twists to them that prevent them from being the dreaded white bread hero that has no discernible talent or personality but seems to have countless friends and a will they/won't they love interest. That certainly isn't the case for Quentin "Q" Jacobson, a complex "loser" of sorts with two misfits as best (only?) friends, Radar (they don't explain it in the movie but he's called Radar because he vaguely resembles the character Radar from "M*A*S*H.") and Ben, who I had some problems with in the film that I'll get to later. Though Q does well academically, the life ahead of him is unsure. The only thing he knows for sure is that he has always been in love with neighbor Margo, the adventurous, spontaneous firecracker that brings him along for one amazing night...and then vanishes.
"This is gonna be the best night of your life" best summarizes the character of Margo, a truly great Green creation that might easily be the best things about the film. Cara Delevingne might just be perfect casting, as Woodley was for Hazel Grace. Surely on the route to movie stardom after capturing social media adoration, Delevingne was quite perhaps a better Margo then the one I had in my head while reading "Paper Towns," which I still consider to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. An unexplainable "it" factor might be enough to sum it up, but that does an injustice to what she brought to the role. With those mischievous eyebrows, rebellion seems to coarse through her being, a smirk alone could cover either immense boredom or puckish flirtation. If TFIOS couldn't garner Academy attention, I'm not sure if any Green adaptation can, but in a perfect world Delevingne would be a contender.
Nat Wolff, fresh off playing the eye-sick Isaac in TFIOS, which I didn't think he quite landed, brings a great case to see him lead more films as Q. Armed with an almost defeatist grin, like the fact that he knows all of these great things happening to him won't be for much longer, Wolff isn't afraid to let you see an uglier side of this character, which pops up in its final act. The character of Ben has polarized me a bit. While the intention may be to gross out the audience with some of what he says, Ben alternately isolated and pulled me in at various times of the movie: though that may speak to an unsteady character development by the writers or Austin Abrams, he did ultimately come out as the most relatable character in the film.
Radar had a line in the novel that made me laugh out loud for nearly a minute, and though his family still has that hilarious quirk that I'm glad was deemed fit to be in the film, he doesn't bring as much to me as what he did in the book. In some ways I was glad to see him as the movie's moral compass, a straightforward geek enjoying finally having a cute girlfriend, Angela, who thankfully was included more here because it develops Radar's character arch a little further. Halston Sage has a few solid scenes as Lacey, but the character more or less remains the same as she did from the novel: an unobtrusive inclusion in the quest of these young men. I would've liked to see her develop a little more.
The best part about Green's book, besides the frankness of his characters and their spurts of devil-may-care attitude, was its unpredictable nature. "Will he find Margo?" is a real question with a capital Q. What happens in the final act is still a solid enough mysttery to where I believe if I hadn't read and adored the novel I still would've found it a fresh and truthful ending. I'm resolute in my belief to not throw in casual spoilers, but I want to discuss the ending so badly, as it does indeed differ from the novel in certain respects. Box-office numbers and critical polarization may not make Paper Towns the follow-up Green screen adaptation TFIOS was, but it more than deserves to stand on its own two feet. Its depictions of teenage interaction are mostly genuine, its soundtrack alternative and optimistically youthful, as Green's characters nearly always prove to be. Fans and fresh faces will enjoy Paper Towns, a film where you alternately relate and sit admiringly at the screen, thinking that perhaps its not too late to have a best night of your life, even with someone or something so alluringly elusive.
Rating: 2.5/4 stars
Even though some of Green's main characters are typically straight white males (it's so nice seeing minorities getting a spotlight in mainstream media) they all have wonderful kinks and twists to them that prevent them from being the dreaded white bread hero that has no discernible talent or personality but seems to have countless friends and a will they/won't they love interest. That certainly isn't the case for Quentin "Q" Jacobson, a complex "loser" of sorts with two misfits as best (only?) friends, Radar (they don't explain it in the movie but he's called Radar because he vaguely resembles the character Radar from "M*A*S*H.") and Ben, who I had some problems with in the film that I'll get to later. Though Q does well academically, the life ahead of him is unsure. The only thing he knows for sure is that he has always been in love with neighbor Margo, the adventurous, spontaneous firecracker that brings him along for one amazing night...and then vanishes.
"This is gonna be the best night of your life" best summarizes the character of Margo, a truly great Green creation that might easily be the best things about the film. Cara Delevingne might just be perfect casting, as Woodley was for Hazel Grace. Surely on the route to movie stardom after capturing social media adoration, Delevingne was quite perhaps a better Margo then the one I had in my head while reading "Paper Towns," which I still consider to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. An unexplainable "it" factor might be enough to sum it up, but that does an injustice to what she brought to the role. With those mischievous eyebrows, rebellion seems to coarse through her being, a smirk alone could cover either immense boredom or puckish flirtation. If TFIOS couldn't garner Academy attention, I'm not sure if any Green adaptation can, but in a perfect world Delevingne would be a contender. Nat Wolff, fresh off playing the eye-sick Isaac in TFIOS, which I didn't think he quite landed, brings a great case to see him lead more films as Q. Armed with an almost defeatist grin, like the fact that he knows all of these great things happening to him won't be for much longer, Wolff isn't afraid to let you see an uglier side of this character, which pops up in its final act. The character of Ben has polarized me a bit. While the intention may be to gross out the audience with some of what he says, Ben alternately isolated and pulled me in at various times of the movie: though that may speak to an unsteady character development by the writers or Austin Abrams, he did ultimately come out as the most relatable character in the film.
Radar had a line in the novel that made me laugh out loud for nearly a minute, and though his family still has that hilarious quirk that I'm glad was deemed fit to be in the film, he doesn't bring as much to me as what he did in the book. In some ways I was glad to see him as the movie's moral compass, a straightforward geek enjoying finally having a cute girlfriend, Angela, who thankfully was included more here because it develops Radar's character arch a little further. Halston Sage has a few solid scenes as Lacey, but the character more or less remains the same as she did from the novel: an unobtrusive inclusion in the quest of these young men. I would've liked to see her develop a little more.
The best part about Green's book, besides the frankness of his characters and their spurts of devil-may-care attitude, was its unpredictable nature. "Will he find Margo?" is a real question with a capital Q. What happens in the final act is still a solid enough mysttery to where I believe if I hadn't read and adored the novel I still would've found it a fresh and truthful ending. I'm resolute in my belief to not throw in casual spoilers, but I want to discuss the ending so badly, as it does indeed differ from the novel in certain respects. Box-office numbers and critical polarization may not make Paper Towns the follow-up Green screen adaptation TFIOS was, but it more than deserves to stand on its own two feet. Its depictions of teenage interaction are mostly genuine, its soundtrack alternative and optimistically youthful, as Green's characters nearly always prove to be. Fans and fresh faces will enjoy Paper Towns, a film where you alternately relate and sit admiringly at the screen, thinking that perhaps its not too late to have a best night of your life, even with someone or something so alluringly elusive.
Rating: 2.5/4 stars
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