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The Paperboy

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The Paperboy (2012)

October. 05,2012
|
5.7
|
R
| Drama Thriller Mystery
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As investigative reporter Ward Jansen and his partner Yardley Acheman chase a sensational, career-making story with the help of Ward's younger brother Jack and sultry death-row groupie Charlotte Bless, the pair tries to prove violent swamp-dweller Hillary Van Wetter was framed for the murder of a corrupt local sheriff.

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Reviews

Steineded
2012/10/05

How sad is this?

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Aiden Melton
2012/10/06

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

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Ariella Broughton
2012/10/07

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

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Darin
2012/10/08

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

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cksjgrammy
2012/10/09

The only way I would continue watching this heinous, disgusting movie is if I knew that Hillary Crotch Wetter would be executed, and Charlotte would be eaten by an alligator. That is all.

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ulloajonathan
2012/10/10

As the type of person who does not write reviews often, I must be quite honest, I am biased in this review because of how much I like the review. Like most people who like this movie apparently, I love the film-making behind it. The collection of all star actors and actresses is amazing and not expected. For example, I watched the movie because I love McConaughey and believe Efron has potential. I was caught entirely off guard seeing Cusak and Kidman. I was even more surprised these people would accept roles in such a weird and *spiritual* movie. All of the casts acting made this movie more of a character study rather a normal movie.instead of caring about the plot and the inevitable ending, the audience is drawn to the characters and their feelings. Although their actions might seem predictable, it is all the better to see them feel the way they do and make us all feel as if we agree with them in the actions that they ultimately make.Another great addition to the all star acting is the cinematography, it is truly lovable. A movie released in 2012 that has the majority of the time spent in a "Vintage-Old Timey vibe" giving the audience the ever-constant reminder that it takes place in 1969 is truly amazing and doesn't ever get lost. It adds a certain charm to the movie that helps it, something like this in a different genre would normally seem tacky and corny but this fits perfectly. All in all, I clearly loved the film and recommend it to anyone trying to see a movie that has an insane plot that probably is more common than we all know. More importantly the truth hidden in the acting and cinematography is heart wrenching and spiritually enlightening. A movie that fools half of it's audience and enlightens the other half.

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MovieCritic98
2012/10/11

This is a terrible movie. It is amazing that the big-name stars in this movie signed on for this piece of garbage. Technically, Nicole Kidman did a good job of playing her character, but it is all for nothing. Garbage script in, garbage movie out. Don't waste your time on this one. I regret having to give one star when it deserves zero.

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Screen_Blitz
2012/10/12

Upon watching this sordid dark comedy, it is quite difficult to comprehend where director Lee Daniels' ambition for the film flew off. From his highly acclaimed efforts in the 2009 picture 'Precious', you would expect Daniels to uproot something with powerful cinematic efforts, especially for an A-list cast starring Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, David Oyelowo, and John Cusask. Compared to the aforementioned film, this one feels like a harsh chore to sit through, particularly for those who grow uncomfortable with sweaty Florida natives with a thirst of sex and intimacy or gross-out imagery. There is one scene of a character getting urinated on, another scene of a man eviscerating an alligator, the list goes on. This is film is set in the late 1960s in Moat county, Florida. Zac Efron plays Jack Wansen, an aimless young man in his early twenties who is taken care by his old house wife Anita Chester (played by Madi Gray) after he's expelled from college for a reckless stunt. His mother is dead, and his stepfather is residing away in Arizona, and worse he's got nothing go on in his life other than delivering the morning newspaper. This is until his older brother Ward (played by Matthew McConaughey) returns to town to investigate a murder of a local sheriff by a crocodile hunter Hillary Van Wetter (played by John Cusack), hiring Jack and his friend Yardley (played by David Oyelowo) in the process. They soon make an unwise choice of trusting local sex junkie Charlett Bless (played by Nicole Kidman) who happens to be dating the convict. As they dive deeper into the case, violence and sexual tensions unexpectedly arise between the four.The plot of the film already sordid enough, but with powerful directorial efforts by Lee Daniels the concept could have worked. Unfortunately, it becomes soiled with a messy direction and a vastly uninspiring script by Peter Dexter, all of which results in a 107 minutes of tedium. The plot fails to be interesting or thoughtful in anyway, and this much is due to the soulless (sometimes bizarre) execution it endures. Not only does it suffer from a lack of emotional investment, it is very uneven to the point of reassembling a collection of short films put together than one with a coherent plot. While the premise does an okay job at setting up the story, the plot development stops not long before then. There are definitely some moments destined to shock or disgust such as a "sexually-charged interrogation scene with John Cusack in the jailhouse or the aforementioned urination scene on the beach, but nothing to amuse or leave an emotional impact. The performances may be the only aspect that keep the film from hitting ground zero. Matthew McConaughey is somewhat compelling in his role as the main character's older brother. Nicole Kidman delivers a off-putting vibe as the horny sex addict who adds some slight comic relief to the inane plot. Maci Gray does a fine job as the narrator as well as a supporting character who shares only a handful of screen time. The rest of the cast including Zac Efron, David Oyelowo, and John Cusack aren't bad but there characters are so one-dimensional they are given little to work with. By the end, it is hard to identify any memorable characters. The Paperboy is a botched cinematic piece with no substance and very redeeming value to offer. From the disappointing execution, to the mundane screenplay, to the overall soiled direction, the film leads vet little to be desired. The result is an forgettable picture that fails on nearly every level.

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