Paranoid Park
1/4
Starring: Gabe Nevins, Dan Liu, Jake Miller, Taylor Momsen, Lauren McKinney
Rated R for Some Disturbing Images, Language and Sexual Content
At the center of "Paranoid Park" is an interesting idea: a disaffected teenager coming to terms with his role in an accidental death. Unfortunately, the direction by acclaimed director Gus van Sant is extraordinarily self-indulgent, and he turns this potentially provocative material into a nonsensical, pretentious mess.
Alex (Nevins) is a quiet skateboarder living in Portland, Oregon. His parents are getting divorced, and he isn't sure if he likes his girlfriend (Momsen). One day, a detectine (Liu) comes to the school asking questions about the recent death of a security guard who was run over by a train after getting hit with a skateboard.
It's clear that Liu has Alex in his sights from fairly early on, but the truth about what happened that night isn't revealed until about halfway through the film. And when it is, it's a huge WTF.
The acting is solid all around. Gabe Nevins, who was cast in the lead role after he attended a casting call on MySpace, is good as the alienated teen. He doesn't talk much, and although he seems to regard everything with apathy, he is good at using his eyes to tell what he is truly feeling. Liu is also very good as the detective. He doesn't go for histrionics; he simply states the facts, and that's what makes him so authentic and threatening. Taylor Momsen, the only member of the cast with a substantial resume (she was Cindy Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and had a recurring role on "Gossip Girl") is also good as Alex's needy girlfriend. The best performance goes to Lauren McKinney, who plays Alex's earthy friend Macy. She's refreshingly real.
So why the low rating? Because van Sant's need to be "indie" completely interferes with his telling of the story. The plot is told in a more or less random order; while it can be argued that presenting the plot in a non-chronological order could be an asset, it's not done well here. Second, there are far too many slo-mo scenes that serve no purpose and the musical accompaniments are badly chosen.
It's easy to figure out what van Sant is trying to do: he's trying to get inside the head of a disaffected teenager who is forced to confront a horrible incident. But because of he constantly shows off, the director blows it. Majorly.
Starring: Gabe Nevins, Dan Liu, Jake Miller, Taylor Momsen, Lauren McKinney
Rated R for Some Disturbing Images, Language and Sexual Content
At the center of "Paranoid Park" is an interesting idea: a disaffected teenager coming to terms with his role in an accidental death. Unfortunately, the direction by acclaimed director Gus van Sant is extraordinarily self-indulgent, and he turns this potentially provocative material into a nonsensical, pretentious mess.
Alex (Nevins) is a quiet skateboarder living in Portland, Oregon. His parents are getting divorced, and he isn't sure if he likes his girlfriend (Momsen). One day, a detectine (Liu) comes to the school asking questions about the recent death of a security guard who was run over by a train after getting hit with a skateboard.
It's clear that Liu has Alex in his sights from fairly early on, but the truth about what happened that night isn't revealed until about halfway through the film. And when it is, it's a huge WTF.
The acting is solid all around. Gabe Nevins, who was cast in the lead role after he attended a casting call on MySpace, is good as the alienated teen. He doesn't talk much, and although he seems to regard everything with apathy, he is good at using his eyes to tell what he is truly feeling. Liu is also very good as the detective. He doesn't go for histrionics; he simply states the facts, and that's what makes him so authentic and threatening. Taylor Momsen, the only member of the cast with a substantial resume (she was Cindy Lou Who in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and had a recurring role on "Gossip Girl") is also good as Alex's needy girlfriend. The best performance goes to Lauren McKinney, who plays Alex's earthy friend Macy. She's refreshingly real.
So why the low rating? Because van Sant's need to be "indie" completely interferes with his telling of the story. The plot is told in a more or less random order; while it can be argued that presenting the plot in a non-chronological order could be an asset, it's not done well here. Second, there are far too many slo-mo scenes that serve no purpose and the musical accompaniments are badly chosen.
It's easy to figure out what van Sant is trying to do: he's trying to get inside the head of a disaffected teenager who is forced to confront a horrible incident. But because of he constantly shows off, the director blows it. Majorly.
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