Paterson - Movie Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

Unpredictable filmmaker Jim Jarmusch ricochets from his artful vampire movie Only Lovers Left Alive into this offhanded comedy-drama. The central theme this time is poetry, as Jarmusch weaves the quiet everyday observations of William Carlos Williams' writings into a movie set in his hometown. It's a whimsical story packed with wry humour, thoughtful emotion and some spicy details in both the people and places.

It takes place in Paterson, New Jersey, but the title is also the name of the central character. Paterson (Adam Driver) is a bus driver who enjoys his daily routine with his girlfriend Laura (Golshifteh Farahani). As he scribbles poetry in his journal, Laura longs to be a cupcake-baking country singer. Their days are livened up by their expressive bulldog Marvin, who accompanies Paterson to the bar each night, where he chats with barman Doc (Barry Shabaka Henley) and the locals. Then one day his routine is broken, and a series of small events seem to conspire to change the course of his life.

There isn't actually much plot in this movie, which gently observes Paterson's repetitive days with a sense of sardonic wit. Driver and Farahani are terrific in their roles as dreamers whose lives are coloured with artistic expression. They're so cheerful, even in challenging situations, that we can't help but love them. By contrast, Paterson's boss (Rizwan Manji) has a list of complaints to recite every morning, and a couple in the bar (William Jackson Harper and Chasten Harmon) seem to be fighting about nothing. And then there are three other intriguing poets Paterson encounters over the course of the film: a rapper (Cliff Smith), a young girl (Sterling Jerins) and a Japanese tourist (Nagase).

As these characters swirl around each other, each of them adds tiny observations and textures to a film that feels like a celebration of an ordinary man we'd all like to have a beer with. It's also about an ordinary place that has been home to a string of extraordinary poets, including Emily Dickinson and Allen Ginsberg. And in the way he plays with small everyday truths, Jarmush finds some big things to say about all of us, encouraging us not to take for granted the things we see each day. These quiet insights give scenes a powerful kick of resonance without ever resorting to sentimentality. But honestly, the main reason to see this film is for the dog. Marvin is a relentless scene-stealer who gets all the best lines.

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Facts and Figures

Year: 2016

Genre: Dramas

Run time: 118 mins

In Theaters: Wednesday 28th December 2016

Distributed by: K5 International

Production compaines: Amazon Studios, K5 Film, Animal Kingdom

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Fresh: 59 Rotten: 3

IMDB: 7.7 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Producer: Joshua Astrachan, Carter Logan

Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch

Starring: Adam Driver as Paterson, Golshifteh Farahani as Laura, Sterling Jerins as Older Woman 1, Helen-Jean Arthur as Kid, Owen Asztalos as Woman in Red, Kacey Cockett as Man in Low Rider, Luis Da Silva Jr. as Male Student, Jared Gilman as Marie, Chasten Harmon as Everett, William Jackson Harper as Luis, Frank Harts as Doc, Barry Shabaka Henley as Older Woman 2, Joan Kendall as Boy on Bus 1, Dominic Liriano as Doc's Wife, Johnnie Mae as Dony, Rizwan Manji as Jimmy, Brian McCarthy as Method Man, Method Man as Young Girl, Jaden Michael as Japanese Poet, Sophia Muller as Marvin, Masatoshi Nagase as Sam, Nellie as Dave, Trevor Parham as Coverall Man, Troy T. Parham as Coverall Man, James Van Treuren as Kid

Also starring: Joshua Astrachan, Jim Jarmusch