Paranoid Park (2008)

Pretty Good

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The name Gus Van Sant should be a label of quality - and I agree when I have in mind Good Will Hunting or Milk or My Own Private Idaho - but the movie in question has uninviting script, slow course of events, and uninviting actors (teens were apparently selected due to their skateboard skills and "cuteness" only). The whole story could have been shown within half an hour or so and the ending is shallow as well, so when the credits appear you just shrug your shoulders... The only elements I liked were distinctive directing, camera-work and choice of music, but they could be at place in a talented beginner's creation as well, not in case of a highly acclaimed and known director. The movie contains many important topics such as growing pains, vanity, apathy, insensitivity, but the manner depicting them could be much more interesting than here.Paranoid Park can be catchy for introverted teens and their parents-relatives, but not my cup of tea.

A lot of people defending this movie have some valid points, and I think this movie was a decent attempt at what it's trying to do. In my opinion it just doesn't work. This movie is basically a yawn fest, and the plot is THIN. I get it, he's trying to let us inside the mind of a teenage boy trying to deal with no only a difficult family life, but also an unfortunate and traumatic event. Skateboarding seems to be used as his escape. It has the makings of the dramatic film it's trying to be, but there is just too many jumbled and mixed up scenes that offer the viewer nothing. It gets excruciatingly difficult to watch scene after scene of the camera just staring into the blank and expressionless face of the main character. I don't know, accuse me of being one of those people that need "Michael Bay explosions" to be entertained....whatever. I have no problem with movies that aren't action packed or straight forward, but this movie is too much.

Skateboarding Portland, Oregon teenager Gabe Nevins (as Alex) is troubled after a sleep-over invitation from hunky pal Jake Miller (as Jared), who has offered to take him to a place called "Paranoid Park." Mr. Miller advises, "Getting laid is always better than not getting laid." On the night in question, a security guard is killed in the park. Mr. Nevins is questioned, at his high school, by detective Dan Liu (as Richard Lu). We learn Nevins' hot-to-trot virgin girlfriend Taylor Momsen (as Jennifer) wanted to see Nevins that evening, but he feared intercourse was likely. Nevins isn't interested in returning romantic signals from friendly Lauren McKinney (as Macy), either. And, his parents are divorcing. Director Gus Van Sant has young Nevins explain this film is told "a little out of order." And, so it goes. The something referred to as "outside of normal life" seems to be homosexuality, given the general tone of the picture - not to mention the sexy come hither smile Nevins receives from Scott Patrick Green (as Scratch). We do eventually see what happened on the night in question. It's grisly. The film very effectively captures the dangerous allure of restless youthful adventure, and certainly shows how it can sometimes result in tragedy - a real downer, in this particular case, unfortunately. Still, "Paranoid Park" artistically and stylistically very satisfying. Christopher Doyle and the crew help make it hum.******** Paranoid Park (5/21/07) Gus Van Sant ~ Gabe Nevins, Taylor Momsen, Jake Miller, Dan Liu

When me and my GF went to see this film, we didn't know what to expect, however she assured me that it had good reviews. So I went along with it. We got into the cinema and bought tickets and went into the screen. After a while of sitting there waiting for the film to start no one else walked through the door. I was very suspicious as you usually get at least a couple of more people in any film screening. The film began eventually and we sat there. After a while of very little dialogue and very "arty" type moody scenes I was starting to realise why we were the only people there. It was disjointed with random cuts from the main story to kids in a skate park, the story it's self made no sense. The kid was meant to have committed a crime when he didn't and If he did, writing a letter to no one is not an answer and you shouldn't feel not guilty just because you wrote that letter, he should have been punished. There was no point to this film at all. I have no idea why we didn't go and get our money back part of the way through the film. I tried to give it a chance I guess. There was little concept to this film, and the execution was disgraceful. The writer and director and just about everyone else who made this film should have realised what they were doing and stopped. It is an hour plus that I will never ever ever get back. I'm sorry to anyone who liked this film, but...it's just so so awful, i mean really really really bad. Oh well at least i never have to be subjected to it again.