Paper Man

I saw "Paper Man" recently in the favor of seeing Jeff Daniels act in a newer movie. And it is a job well done.

This is fantastic indie movie and a strong directorial/writing debut for Kieran and Michele Mulroney. The casting is interesting and diverse adding in the likes of Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, and Kieran Culkin (who may I add surprised me very much). Each actor turns in their roles well for what they're meant to be. And I must say the film explores many intriguing concepts of one's mind, suggesting also how two people can be so different in age and still relate to how the other is feeling. It is heartfelt and very sentimental. The friendship between Daniels and Stone is sweet and quite emotionally driven. The roles of Reynolds and Culkin add another level to the movie's superiority because they change the film from being "your everyday drama among friends and family" to a individualistic adventure for one's identity in the cruel place that is the world.

**A twist toward the end made me give this movie another bonus. It was unpredictable (at least for me) and allowed everything to tie together.

It's definitely above average and a movie I plan on watching many more times in the future. Plus, Jeff Daniels always hands in a great act.

No matter your sex or what is your age difference, when you find a friend, if it is sincere, you have found one.

A one you can cherish, take care of, and don't listen to others prohibiting you of, because of rules and rules.

Hat's off to Writers, Directors, Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone. Emma, please give your DNA to a sort of preservation bank, perhaps we or our kids get a chance of having your clone as a friend or more if it worked out ;)

A small movie like this, playing with your imagination, emotions and feelings, up to this level? This must be either a proof to talents or something just ran off the normal Hollywood's crap line of production accidentally! /s

Want to witness real talent, feeling yourself in their place? Then this is your chance to appreciate a rare feel good movie, so real, you think you are Richard Dunn. (obviously I'm a male!)

I'm still looking back at the cupboard waiting the fantastic Ryan Reynolds as Captain Excellent to jump out of it!

I wish one day I could find a friend like Abby, giving some sense to my life.

Thank you for such a movie. These are the ones we support with our pockets not those 200 Gazillion Dollar ones targeted only for money and as empty as the popcorn box or the cola bottle at the end.

Open a bottle of wine, and taste this movie with, preferably a Friend.

Cheers!

This is not the kind of movie I would generally watch or review, but! I must say I really enjoyed it. The message is simple but powerful. The characters are easy to relate to and the moral is quite subtle but important.

Paper Man tells the tale of an unlikely friendship between a middle age author (Jeff Daniels) and a teen aged girl (Emma Stone). Although this friendship is misunderstood by the people surrounding their lives, it asks questions about the meaning and importance of friendship. The use of the imaginary friends helps the viewer to understand the conflict going on in both these peoples lives. And in doing so adds a comical and interesting dynamic to the story.

Performances are strong with both Daniels and Stone. I've always thought that Jeff Daniels was an underrated actor and am hoping that one day he will get his break. I don't think this movie is it, but he is getting closer. Ryan Reynolds is great as Captain Excellent and Kieran Culkin is also very good in the part.

I would highly recommend this film, especially if you have a good friend to watch it with. And if your prone to a bit of a cry during movies, then grab a box of tissues before viewing. Its a very sweet movie. "sniff, sniff."

On the verge of separation from his wife and crippled by harrowing writer's block, Richard Dunn (Jeff Daniels) settles himself into a friend's summer cottage to work on his second novel. His only companion is Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds), a Superman-like superhero who exists only in Richard's mind. Solitude doesn't seem to do the trick, however, and he soon finds himself looking for ways to procrastinate. On a trip into town, he meets and befriends Abby (Emma Stone), a local teenager with a haunted past and only one real friend, a strange boy named Christopher (Kieran Culkin). The two become an unlikely pair and begin to spend more time with each other against the advice of both Captain Excellent and Christopher. Soon Richard is forced to question his life, his relationships, and his profession.

This is a difficult movie to sum up. In essence, "Paper Man" is all about relationships and human interaction, though that may seem difficult to comprehend given that one of the characters is a figment of another's imagination. And yet the interconnecting relationships of Richard and Excellent, Abby and Christopher, and Richard and Abby serve as an illustration of human needs and co-dependence. None of the main characters are complete persons and as such, each needs the other. Directors Kieran and Michele Mulroney give us carefully crafted, well-honed characters that rarely stray from their tendencies as they grow together and therefore, apart. Likewise, all of the leads give outstanding performances and fit their roles perfectly. Daniels and Stone display a natural chemistry that embraces the oddness of their relationship. For perhaps the first time ever, Richard and Abby are allowed to be themselves in each other's company and that comes through beautifully. Stone, in particular, is perhaps more vulnerable and authentic here than in any other movie she's been a part of. Only Lisa Kudrow feels out of place as Richard's overachieving wife, a one-dimensional character who at times fits a tired cliché than she does embrace real humanity. That's more than a bit of a disappointment given than none of the other characters or their interactions stray into the cliché abyss. "Paper Man" is quirky and original with dark overtones that give it depth and edge and a tremendous collection of talent that doesn't go to waste. Quite frankly, I loved this movie and found myself drawn to it with more intensity than just about any film I've seen recently.

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Rule 1, never watch a trailer, I watched it AFTER watching the film and am seriously questioning the mental state of the head of marketing of this film. It is not a comedy, it is a character piece, a drama I guess, but NOT A COMEDY.

It's good, I liked it, for me a 7/10 is a solid film, not bad, but not a a masterpiece. The strength comes from the amazingly good acting and writing. It makes you feel stuff, including awkward, which is good, because that is what movies are supposed to do. Don't be swayed, everything in this film is deliberate, if you felt it, the director wanted you to feel it, that is what good films do.

As I said, acting and writing is superb, and it really comes together in the last act. Starts slow, but it's not boring, just hang on.

I think Captain Excellent works, I don't really know why other people think it didn't, but I never mind breaking the immersion of reality in films.

Good film, go watch if you like characters and stuff.