Paper Towns (6/10): A change of tone from Green's The Fault in Our Stars

“What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.”

Thanks to the worldwide success of The Fault in Our Stars which was adapted from John Green’s 2012 novel, the producers have decided to adapt some of his earlier work as well. Teaming up with the same screenwriters, Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter, casting Nat Wolff again (although this time as the lead), and hiring a new director, Jake Schreier (Robot and Frank), they had everything in place and ready to adapt Green’s 2008 novel, Paper Towns, with the hopes of banking on the author’s current fanbase. Although Paper Towns is similarly aimed towards a teen audience, it is very different from The Fault in Our Stars. It’s a coming of age story that includes some mystery elements and ends up turning into a road trip movie. So despite following certain generic conventions in the teen genre it does manage to mix things up a bit and that was something I enjoyed. Everything else about Paper Towns including its characters are pretty familiar.  

The film begins as a typical boy becomes infatuated with girl story, but it soon develops into much more than that. In Paper Towns this boy is Quentin (Nat Wolff) and the girl next door he falls for is Margo (Cara Delevinge). They shared a friendly past, the two hung out together as kids, but when they became older Margo’s adventurous and wild behavior didn’t go along with Quentin’s much risk free and calm demeanor. During their senior year of High School, Margo was on her way to being the prom queen, while he was just the kids that went unnoticed. His two best friends, Radar (Justice Smith) and Ben (Austin Abrams), were aware of his obsession over her, but he never acted upon it. One night, Margo climbs through his window using her ninja skills as she used to when they were kids, and asks him to join her on one last mission. Apparently her boyfriend has been cheating on her with her best friend and she wants to get some payback. She asks him to drive her around on his mother’s minivan and after the successful mission Quentin admits never having felt so much fun before. The next day, hopeful to resume his new found friendship with Margo he discovers that she has gone missing, but she has left some clues behind for him. With the help of Radar and Ben the three begin to try to solve the mystery of Margo’s disappearance. Lacey (Halston Sage), one of Margo’s closest friends, also decides to join the kids in trying to find her since they seem to be the only ones worried about her.  

Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter are definitely the two screenwriters you want to hire for adapting teen based novels. This is perhaps their weakest effort, but it still stands above most other teen rom-coms. 500 Days of Summer and The Spectacular Now were both very well written screenplays with interesting characters and relationships, while The Fault in Our Stars banked on the the strong chemistry between Woodley and Elgort. Wolff in that film delivered most of the comedic scenes, but here he downplays his character and lets Abrams deliver most of the funny quirky scenes. Delevinge embodies her wild character pretty well, but considering she is missing throughout most of the movie she doesn’t get much screen time. That is what makes Paper Towns such a rare teen romance because the girl is missing throughout most of the story and the focus is on Quentin’s quest to find her.  It’s more about idealizing the other person and discovering that in reality they are simply a person. The mystery and the road trip is what makes this film stand out from other films in the genre  and it makes the ride all that more enjoyable, but when compared to other coming of age films it probably ranks in the middle. The film shares some similarities with The Girl Next Door, which was a film I enjoyed a lot more probably because I was younger when I saw it. Paper Towns is a film for teens and if you’re not in that target audience you might find it a bit difficult to enjoy. There is one scene in the movie that reminded me of this when during a cameo all the teen girls in the audience sighed at the sight of him.       

My Review: Palo Alto (4/10)

"Try not to hang around Fred."

I'm not sure what attracted me to Gia Coppola's directorial debut, Palo Alto, but I do know that 10 minutes into it I was already regretting my decision. Gia is trying to accomplish something similar to what her aunt Sofia did with Lost in Translation and Somewhere. In Palo Alto we also are introduced to the boring lives of the rich although instead of focusing on successful actors this time the focus is on High School teenagers trying to find their purpose in life. Not that I'm not interested in these explorations, because I really enjoyed Lost in Translation, but I just didn't find any of these characters interesting. The entire story seemed pointless kind of like the lives of these characters which was probably the whole point of the movie, but it simply bored and disengaged me completely. I felt like Gia was desperately trying to tell us something through the beautiful cinematography and soulless characters which were portrayed rather authentically, but it just didn't mean anything to me. I couldn't help but feel that I had seen Emma Roberts play a similar character in the past in films which I actually enjoyed more (It's Kind of a Funny Story and The Art of Getting By came to mind). Perhaps I wasn't the intended target audience, but it's hard for me to picture who they really were. I have heard some positive comments about how authentic these characters were and how well the teenagers captured that similar atmosphere they went through in High School, but it really didn't connect with me. The film seems to suffer from a slow pacing and an uneven story considering it struggles to balance the different story lines that the main characters are dealing with. I do have to give this film credit for not falling into the familiar conventions of the teenage romantic genre, but I also felt the lack of a heavier and more dramatic storyline hurt this film because it didn't seem to go anywhere at times.

Francis Ford Coppola's granddaughter, Gia, has impressed critics with her debut film, and there are several similarities with her aunt Sofia's work (which are explored through the similar cinematography and indie soundtrack). Gia not only directed this film, but she also adapted the screenplay based on James Franco's short stories so her dedication to this film was complete. The performances were also pretty strong and as I mentioned before these characters felt authentic and believable. They fight their boredom by searching for love, getting high or drunk, and partying all the time. I didn't really have a problem with the performances, but what really hurt this film was the uneven story and the lack of a tighter narrative. Many scenes felt forced and the story didn't seem to go anywhere at times. There were a lot of things that just never led anywhere. I really enjoyed Jack Kilmer's performance as Teddy, the kind teen who has a crush on April (Emma Roberts) but is too shy to express his feelings. He also seems to hang around the wrong crowd. Nat Wolff plays Fred, the self destructive teenager who is always getting his friend Teddy into trouble. Fred also has a destructive relationship with Emily (Zoe Levin) who he simply uses when he feels like it and pushes her away when not. April is also shy and torn between what she feels for Teddy and her soccer coach (played by James Franco) whose son she babysits during her free time. Franco plays himself really, but Emma Roberts has received most praise for her role. However for me the stand out was Val Kilmer's son Jack, who really proved to have depth and charisma. The performances are earnest and authentic, but the story simply doesn't go anywhere and feels incomplete. It was hard to sympathize with these shallow and overprivileged kids as well, and I haven't even mentioned the lack of a respectable adult figure in the entire film. 

My Review: The Fault in Our Stars (8/10)

"You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."

The Fault in Our Stars is one of those rare romantic melodramas that succeeds thanks to its talented cast and its believable script. Considering how easy it could've been to emotionally manipulate and exploit the audience with the material, director Josh Boone did an excellent job of recreating a tender love story while avoiding cliches and one dimensional characters. I was unfamiliar with John Green's bestselling novel which this film was based on, but I had high expectations for this film considering the script was adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber whose work in 500 Days of Summer and The Spectacular Now I highly admired. The Fault in Our Stars didn't disappoint thanks to yet another powerful performance from Shailene Woodley (in my opinion her best work), who played her character in such a natural way that she made the story feel believable. Considering the subject matter this film could've been over manipulative, but it never feels this way thanks to a smart and intelligent script and some strong performances. The film balances these dramatic moments with grace and there were also some very funny moments that helped lighten the mood when things got grim. This isn't like other cancer dramas (I'm mostly thinking of My Sisters Keeper here) which have mostly failed by being too exploitive, because this film handles the material with grace. It's still a heartbreaking film, but it is much more natural in the way it approaches the material. This is one of those rare chick flicks that guys will actually enjoy as well.

This love story is narrated by Hazel Grace (Shailene Woodley), a teenager who has been diagnosed with stage 4 thyroid cancer and has to carry an oxygen tank with her at all times in order to breathe. In an effort to get her out of the house, her parents, Frannie (Laura Dern) and Michael (Sam Trammell), convince her to join a cancer support group. Despite thinking it's a waste of time, something good comes out of it when she meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort). He happens to be there supporting his friend, Isaac (Nat Wolff), who has a tumor in his eye and is about to lose his sight. Augustus himself is a former cancer survivor who lost his leg and is now wearing a prosthetic one. From the moment they bumped into each other at the support group, he just can't take his eyes off her and easily wins Hazel over with his charm and wit. The two become good friends although their relationship seems to be a bit more limited by time than most other couples.

In order for a film like this to work it is important that the two main characters share a strong and believable chemistry together. The Fault in Our Stars makes the most out of this thanks to strong and natural performances from both Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. The chemistry between the two is amazing allowing the relationship to feel authentic and captivating at the same time. We've all seen what Woodley can do, and she has been amazing in every film she's been in, but this is, in my opinion her best performance to date. Ansel Elgort on the other hand completely took me by surprise as I wasn't too impressed with his work in Divergent, but here he is incredibly charming. Nat Wolff, who was one of the main characters in Josh Boone's previous film (Stuck in Love), has an important supporting role here considering his character helps break some of the dramatic tension with several laugh out loud moments. Those scenes really helped lighten up the mood and made this a much funnier film than what I was expecting. Laura Dern and Sam Trammell are also convincing as the parents who are dealing with their daughter's condition. The scenes that really didn't work for me however, were the ones involving Willem Defoe as the author of Hazel's favorite novel. Those scenes were just too weird and took me out of the story, but it's my only complaint for an otherwise incredibly captivating and tear inducing romantic drama.

My Review: Stuck in Love (5/10)

"Your sister is a great writer, and it's because she is courageous in life."

Stuck in Love is one of those movies that is a bit difficult to review because there is little positive or negative things I can say about it. It is not great, but it is not bad either, it is just an average indie rom-com that never managed to get me emotionally involved with the characters. I was a bit disappointed because the trailer for this film looked so good. It made me think this was going to be similar to The Squid and the Whale since it dealt with writers and divorce; and it could have been similar with the only difference that the kids in this film were older. But the script wasn't nearly up to par with that film. Stuck in Love lacked that slick and edgy humor. There were some interesting moments thanks to a very likable and strong cast, but at the end this film felt like another formulaic Hollywood rom-com with everything fitting together too neatly during the final Thanksgiving dinner scene. This is Josh Boone's directorial debut and he had an impressive cast to work with, but ultimately his script was the weakest link here. It wasn't a terrible film, it managed to capture the several different dynamics of love through the very different characters and their love interests, but it was all uninspiring at times and predictable.

The film introduces us to a modern day American family of writers, the Borgens. William (Greg Kinnear) is a successful writer who has spent the last 3 years of his life waiting for his ex-wife, Erica (Jennifer Connelly) to return. She left him for a younger man, and he often stalks her hoping she will one day come back to him. Their oldest daughter, Samantha (Lily Collins) hasn't been able to forgive her for it. She hasn't spoken with her mother and doesn't believe in love or relationships. She is outgoing and likes to hook up with guys, but avoids any kind of relationship because she knows how devastating heartbreaks can be. She sees it every day in her father's moping face. She has just finished writing her first novel and is getting it published. Her younger brother, Rusty (Nat Wolff), is also an aspiring writer who also happens to be a huge Stephen King fan. He isn't very popular at school, but falls for the very beautiful and outgoing Kate (Liana Liberato). She seems out of his league, but she is also looking for someone different who could help her get out of trouble. Following his father's advice, Rusty decides to take risks and experience more of life and so he begins to pursue Kate. Samantha on the other hand is being pursued by a helpless romantic named Lou (Logan Lerman) who believes in true love and is also a writer. The film focuses on these various family dynamics and how each relationship begins shaping their lives.

Greg Kinnear gives a strong performance as usual, playing the caring father who can't seem to get over his ex-wife's abandonment. He hasn't been able to write since and therefor can't move on with his life. He has a casual relationship with his married neighbor played by Kristen Bell, but the film really doesn't focus much on her character. Jennifer Connelly doesn't have much screen time either as her major concern deals with her trying to reestablish her relationship with her estranged daughter. The central characters are actually the young kids who surprised me with very strong performances. Lily Collins is very likable in her role here and you can't help but root for her and her love interest, Logan Lerman. They looked cute together. Collins plays Jennifer Connelly's daughter here and it is surprising how much they really lookalike. I had to check if they weren't actually related in real life. Despite their great performances, I thought the true standout here was Nat Wolff. He plays the insecure kid who is willing to take risks in order to conquer the girl of his dreams. There are some great moments in this film, but the uneven script cost this film and ultimately it just felt like another forgettable Hollywood rom-com.

My Review: Admission (4/10)

"You all want to know the secret formula for getting in. Of course everyone thinks we're sadists, that we like saying no. We are in this job for one reason, to say yes."

Paul Weitz became a household name in Hollywood after his successful 1999 comedy, American Pie, but everything he has directed since has been a bit of a let down for me. I haven't seen all of his films, but the ones I got to see were not actually good. I had higher expectations for Admission considering it had two of today's most successful comedy actors: Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Tina is just so smart and hilarious, while Paul Rudd has great comedic timing and the pair usually choose their roles wisely. I guess this was one of those movies where the comedy worked more on paper, because on screen it really didn't. One may argue this wasn't actually supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't feel it worked well as a drama or a romantic film either. The characters weren't developed very well and I don't know why Tina Fey didn't just butt in and re write the entire script which would've helped this movie a lot. Tina Fey is such a great writer, I would simply let her write the entire dialogues for me. Admission is actually based on a novel written by Jean Hanff Korelitz and it was adapted for the screen by Karen Croner (who hadn't written a screenplay since 1998, One True Thing). It is a shame that the potential of these actors was put to waste here with such an awkward and weak script. Stay away from Admission, this is one film you won't want to be enrolling in.

Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) has spent the last 16 years of her life working at the admissions department for Princeton University. Her boss, Clarence (Wallace Shawn), is getting ready for his retirement so Portia is really looking forward to the promotion. The position could be hers or Corinne's (Gloria Reuben) since they both are the main admissions officers. Princeton has always ranked as the number one University students want to apply for, but this year they are number two. All Clarence wants before retiring is to leave on top so everyone is working overtime. Portia begins visiting several schools around the nation to look for the perfect candidates for Princeton. She receives a call from a former college classmate who is now overseeing an alternative school. John Pressman (Paul Rudd) wants her to come visit his school because there is a special kid named Jeremiah (Nat Wolff) who he wants her to meet. Portia visits the school but doesn't think much of its students. The real reason why John invited her is because he believes that Jeremiah is Portia's son who she gave up in adoption during their college years. He asks Portia to get to know the kid without having to commit to anything because he hasn't mentioned anything to Jeremiah about her. When Jeremiah shows interest in wanting to go to Princeton, Portia will try to do her best to help him. Some complications and funny situations ensue as Portia's life begins to unravel when the man she's been living with for seven years (played by the talented Michael Sheen) bails on her for another woman.

The characters in this film are all pretty much stereotypes we've seen before. I think these stereotypes usually work in comedies, but this film was a little more serious. You have the classic elements were two co-workers begin competing for a same position, a man abandons his companion for another woman, and a romance ensues between two distinct characters with opposite personalities. Rudd and Fey are great actors but I really never believed the chemistry between them here despite their natural likability. The film doesn't work at any level really, not as a comedy and not as a romantic story. There are some funny moments but they are too few and too scattered through. The film is predictable although there are a few surprises here and there that you might not see coming, but they are just smaller details in an otherwise formulaic film. This isn't your typical slapstick college comedy, but it is rather predictable on the romantic side. There are a few witty and cultural jokes thrown in here and there, but it simply wasn't enough. Despite some interesting subjects tackled in the film, Weitz really doesn't take any risks and the film felt bland.