Paterson

I can't possibly do justice to this movie because, frankly, I didn't understand it. I get that it is a sort of adaptation of the epic Paterson poem into a movie, but why would someone do that is beyond me. The acting was good, the direction was excellent, I sincerely cannot imagine a better movie adaptation of the subject, which is a bus driver called Paterson, driving his bus in Paterson.

Now, I guess there could be entire pages dedicated to the film. The way it was made, shot, the rhythm, the analogies to the poetic style, the artistic references in the script, the symbolism and so on. But really, what this film is about is a week in the life of a really introverted bus driver.

Bottom line: you need to be in a certain mood and be a certain kind of person to really appreciate it.

It's one week in the life of Paterson (Adam Driver). He's a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey. He lives with his wife Laura and their dog Marvin. She dreams of starting a cupcake business. Paterson observes his riders and writes poetry in his notebook. He spends his spare time at Doc's bar.

This is a Jim Jarmusch film through and through. It's silly to talk about plot since there is barely one. Adam Driver is putting together an interesting resume. There is so much behind the facade. He is not asked to do any big acting but he still delivers little moments. The cutest is Paterson forced to use a kiddie cell phone from a little girl after the bus breaks down. Mostly, the film leaves me waiting for something bigger to happen. Nothing ever does but the ride does provide interesting moments.

Life is made of routines. Everyday we wake up towards the same places, meeting the same people. If you want drama and action, then this movies isn't fit for you. This is a movie about routines, but more than that: a movie about how we can find beauty in the routines. Paterson, a bus driver, does the same everyday in a village that never leaves a sleepy, foggy state. But he faces each day with joy, together with his ally: the love for poetry. Watch the movie if you like to see normal people, doing normal things but still, finding beauty in the small things.

Greetings again from the darkness. Do you find poetry in everyday life? What about poets … do you envision loners whose lives are filled with angst and suffering? Our lead character here is a pretty normal guy who drives a city bus, has a happy marriage, and walks his dog each evening. He's also a poet – and a pretty interesting one.

Writer/director Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, 2005) often seems like he is making films for his circle of friends … all whom must be much cooler than you and me. This time, however, he takes an opposite approach and brilliantly focuses on a dude that any of us could know. Paterson (Adam Driver) is a New Jersey Transit bus driver who writes poetry based on his observations of life's seemingly minor details (his first poem notes "We have plenty of matches in our house").

You should be forewarned: there are no murders, kidnappings, bank robberies or shootouts. Things move rather deliberately. Also missing are any special effects – heck, Adam Driver even got licensed to drive a bus for the role. Instead, we are forced to slow down and see each of the seven days of a week through the eyes and words of Paterson. He observes. He listens. He people watches. He then commits his thoughts to the page and recites them for our benefit. Sometimes he is eavesdropping on bus passengers, while other times he curiously tries to figure out the newest "dream" for his beloved wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani). Having the soul of an artist, Laura cloaks her world in a geometric black and white color scheme while energetically bounding from cupcakes to country and western music to cooking as she pursues her place in life.

There are many Jarmusch touches throughout. Paterson the poet actually lives and works in Paterson, New Jersey … yep, Paterson from Paterson. The interactions at the neighborhood bar (run by Barry Shabaka Henley) are simultaneously real and surreal – right down to the wall of local fame (including Hurricane Carter and Lou Costello, but no mention of Larry Doby). Coincidences abound. A young girl recites her poem to Paterson … her writing style, personal book, and delivery make her seem like his poetic doppelganger – all while the recurring appearance of numerous sets of twins make us believe in the law of attraction. Lastly, the closest thing to a villain in the film is Paterson's bulldog Marvin, in what plays like a love-hate relationship with the mailbox being center-ring.

Another local Paterson (the city) aspect is Paterson's (the poet) admiration of the works of William Carlos Williams, a poet whose style he emulates. One of the terrific scenes near the end involves a spontaneous interaction between Paterson and town visitor (Masatoshi Nagase) that takes place next to The Great Falls, and serves as a reminder that we should accept who we are, no matter the challenges or lack of glory. This is truly director Jarmusch's ode to the artist/poet in each of us and in ordinary life. Creating art as best we can is a very personal thing, and for some it's a need - while for others it's one of life's simple pleasures. Regardless, a "normal" life with daily routines is not to be scorned, but rather embraced, should you be so fortunate. If you doubt this, Paterson asks, "Would you rather be a fish?" **NOTE: sharp moviegoer eyes will recognize Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman, who both had their debut in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom (2012).

It took us a while but we finally got around to seeing this movie, at home on DVD from our public library. As others have commented this is a very satisfying movie but difficult to explain why.

Adam Driver is really very authentic as Paterson, and he lives in Paterson, NJ. He is intelligent but quiet, every weekday he gets up a little after 6AM, eats his small bowl of Cheerios, and walks with his lunch to his job as a municipal bus driver. Golshifteh Farahani (of Iranian heritage) is his happy wife Laura who likes to decorate everything white and black, her home, her clothes, the curtains, even her cupcakes.

The story starts on a Monday morning and ends the next Monday morning. In between we see Paterson's daily life, his hidden passion is writing poetry in a little book he carries around with him. A punctual man he arrives to work early and sits in his bus, writing, until he is given the signal to start his route.

These are not your usual "Roses are red and violets are blue" type of poem, instead they are the thoughtful, non-rhyming sort, "Today I made my own sandwich, it gives me great pleasure to do so, I can let my wife sleep late" type of poem, although that is not one of them.

The movie is just a character study of a gentle and honest man just finding his own path through life, one week at a time. The script and situations also provide an appropriate amount of humor.