Paper Man

This was a very touching romantic film with an atypical story line--no wonder it made so little at the box office. :( It wasn't obscene or predictable or full of CGI, just actors who did an incredible job including my favorite Jeff Daniels (also an amazing stage actor) and Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds. Well worth watching. I could so relate to some of the scenes of Jeff Daniels. Been there done that. We can really screw up but still in the end feel selfless love, which I believe is the main theme. Although the actors obviously really cared about their work in the film, there were a few times where reactions didn't seem quite fitting to the situation, and there was some lack of character development in minor characters. Some characters seem to be just a bit too unrealistically pathetic and thus unsympathetic (not believable characters). Emma Stone is thoroughly enchanting and sensual and believable. Its romantic minus a lot of the pain as it is imbued with a greater sense or philosophy of life, and not offensive or raunchy like so many modern romantic comedies. Dreamy. Well paced.

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!

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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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.

The first time I played this movie I fell asleep right after it started and almost didn't replay it the next day because what little I remember of it wasn't too impressive. I would have missed one of the better movies I've seen in some time.

Like a lot of indie films it wasn't cookie cutter Hollywood but also unlike a lot of indie films it had some real acting talent. I had seen Emma Stone in Easy A for the first time and enjoyed her in that role but didn't see any exceptional talent so I was really amazed at the performance she gave in this movie as it was a much deeper and complicated role. You don't realize how good she is until you've seen the whole film and finally understand the undercurrent that has been present throughout. Jeff Daniels is a veteran actor and it was hard to tell at first if he was filling his role but as the film progresses you realize that Richard is a flawed man and has been for a very long time and it has reached a point where it can't continue and Daniels was Richard. The three remaining characters were really only set dressing but they were instrumental in helping flesh out who Richard and Abby really were.

Richard, a 40ish writer who has what appears to be writers block meets 17 year old Abby, a not too typical teen. There is an almost instant mutual attraction that develops into a unique friendship that is decidedly not sexual.How this friendship develops and how it affects the rest of the characters is what made this movie so enjoyable. See for yourself. Daniels and Stone were excellent together.

This film does require a little effort. There are no throw away scenes so if you don't stay with it and pay attention you will have wasted the effort that the writers and actors put into it and probably won't appreciate it. If you have a short attention span or are hooked on Hollywood then don't bother with this one.