Review: ‘Paterson’ is a subtle meditation on life’s brilliance (Includes first-hand account)

It takes a special person to see beauty in everyday life. Everyone glimpses it here and there, and some even take a moment to admire the spontaneous splendour; but to be able to find it in everything and be inspired by it is the gift of an artist. This ability can serve as a relief to the mundanity of an ordinary existence since even the smallest thing can spark one’s imagination. Paterson follows such a man who writes poetry in his spare time.

From the outside, it couldn’t appear duller: Paterson (Adam Driver) lives in Paterson, NJ and drives the 23 Paterson bus five days a week. His name is just a coincidence, but the rest is a part of him. He wakes up every morning, kisses his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), and begins his regular routine. Coming home often consists of some surprise care of his spouse, but he then walks the dog and goes to the same bar at the same time every night. His days are uneventful and when something out of the ordinary finally does occur, he appears completely unfazed. Yet in between all of this monotony, he keeps a secret notebook in which he composes poems that don’t rhyme and no one else ever sees or hears.

Paterson’s poetry is at the centre of the narrative. Driver reads the words at the pace it would take to write them as they simultaneously appear on the screen; jet black ink on plain paper is transferred to white script that overlays the picture. Creating them in his spare time, they are for him alone — though Laura insists he share them with the world, or at least her. Paterson admires the great poets, including local laureate William Carlos Williams, and reads their works often. He finds inspiration for his poems in almost anything, from a matchbox to a brief encounter to his love for his wife. If interrupted before the verses are complete, he effortlessly returns to it when another free moment presents itself. Yet he’s not entirely a casual composer; even though he seems able to write almost anywhere, he also keeps a small, book-lined office in his basement.

Channel your inner Paterson and dig into some of his favorite books! #PatersonMovie pic.twitter.com/0Duco1pGGc

— Paterson Movie (@PatersonMovie) February 2, 2017

Driver portrays a man with an exceptionally even temper. However he clearly feels emotions deeply, even if he’s outwardly quiet and rarely expresses them through more than a smile. Paterson is surrounded by a cross-section of life, represented by the random conversations he overhears while driving the bus. Even stranger are his frequent, casual encounters with twins after his wife dreams they had a pair of their own. His relationships with people are simple, but genuine; he’s likable, but a little bit of a mystery to most. Farahani plays Paterson’s artistic stay-at-home wife whom he completely supports in all her endeavours, even when it seems most others would have requested she stop and focus on one thing. On the other hand, she’s actually quite good at whatever project she chooses to concentrate. And their adorable English bulldog undeniably contributes to the story via his own mischievous streak and expressions.

Writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s rumination of a man perfectly content, yet unconsciously demanding of an audience’s attention, gives Driver the opportunity to deliver an understated performance that is certainly the most acclaimed of his still young career.

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani and Nellie

Similar Posts

  • Review: Meryl Streep is dazzling in ‘Ricki and the Flash’ (Includes first-hand account)

    Children are regularly told they can be anything they want; that their dreams are obtainable. No one ever mentions that life doesn’t always go as planned and can get in the way of achieving your goals. Or that ambitions change and life choices with them. It’s not easy and there’s always sacrifices to be made, but those are the decisions everyone must make for themselves. In Ricki and the Flash, a woman chose the less beaten path and is now hoping it can reconnect to the original.

  • Review: New ‘Ghostbusters’ makes us feel good (Includes first-hand account)

    The leading issue with pre-determined notions regarding a yet-to-be-released movie is that they’re generally unfounded, even if not always disproven. Most people are aware that promotional campaigns, particularly trailers, can do a great disservice to otherwise likeable and/or respectable films. And while a distaste for remakes that don’t add anything meaningful to the conversation is warranted, there are exceptions to the anti-remake position. One of the most notable is when a studio and/or filmmaker is eager to deliver a new perspective on a classic narrative, rather than simply rehashing what was done before. Paul Feig‘s Ghostbusters is that exceptional movie.

  • Review: ‘The Walk’ is no average stroll down memory lane (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s not often a personal accomplishment doubles as a global inspiration. Human history is filled with memorable affairs, but this one left its mark on the world without changing it in any way. Moreover, in an amusing turn of events, the impossible act would be achieved by a Frenchman on American soil. In 1974, Philippe Petit successfully walked across a line he fastened between the roofs of the Twin Towers in New York. The Walk is the attractive retelling of his journey into history.