This is clearly
a film made to be appreciated by young adults alone, and this is apparent by
the ultimate message that the worst thing a teenager can be is responsible. Paper Towns actually reminds me a great
deal of Juno, another film where
pretentious hipster behavior is embraced as superior. Thankfully, unlike Juno, that judgmental representation of pretentious
behavior is not found in the protagonist of the narrative. Whether it is me
showing my age through my preferences, a poor adaptation of the original text,
the failures of model Cara Delevingne as an actor, or a combination of all,
less time spent with the character of Margo makes it easier to appreciate Paper Towns.
The story is
fairly unremarkable beyond the fact that it is based upon a best-selling novel
by author John Green (The Fault in Our
Stars), who essentially seems to be reusing the same themes from his melodrama
in a comedic and lighthearted narrative. We start with a typical
‘girl-next-door’ coming-of-age narrative, with Quentin (Nat Wolff) pining over
the popular pretty girl living in the house across the street. But Margo isn’t
just attractive, she also has a personality filled with enigmatically
mysterious personality traits that are basically just immaturity and contrived
quirkiness once actually revealed.
But perhaps I’m
showing my age again. And I also find it difficult to separate the celebrity
from the performance in this case. I found the acting from a model who is best
known for performances in music videos and her nightlife with the Kardashians
to be far from convincing as an average teenager. As for the attempt to make
her seem like more than the average teenager within the narrative, Margo’s
petty need for revenge when cheated on by her popular high school boyfriend
quickly lands her in the category of typical teen. The only behavior by Margo
which is out of the ordinary ends up being merely selfish rather than
endearing.
Though she is not around for much of the
film (thankfully), Margo is central to the narrative because of Quentin’s
obsession with her, especially after they spend one night of debauchery
together before she disappears. Her disappearance is the mystery at the core of
the narrative, though the film actually begins to work when it becomes about
something more than the search for Margo, even if that means devolving into a
predictable road trip narrative. Believable supporting characters (and
believably teenage actors, not models) save the middle of the film from Margo
and Delevingne, not to mention the over-written voiceover by Quentin. Wolff
does a decent job carrying the film as an everyday teenager, but his voiceover
narration sounds like a high school student forced to read aloud in class from
a book above his grade level.
The Blu-ray
release comes with a DVD and digital copy of the film, as well as a handful of
extras, most of which are directed at the same age level as the film. There is
a generic making-of featurette and a few random interviews, but the majority of
worthwhile special features seem to come in the form of additional footage.
There are deleted and alternate scenes, on top of a gag reel.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
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