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'PARADISE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Screenwriter Diablo Cody makes her directorial debut with this comedy-drama about a religious young woman who leaves home for the first time to find herself, after losing her faith in a plane crash. Cody also wrote the film which stars Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Holly Hunter and Nick Offerman. The movie, like all of the films Diablo Cody writes, of course centers on a strong female character that's facing some kind of a life crisis and also struggles with morality verses immoral behavior. It definitely delivers what Cody is known for (and good at) in the way of story, character development and dialogue but it's lacking in the way it delivers those things in cinematic form. In other words Cody's directing is amateurish but it is her first attempt at it.

Hough plays 21-year-old Lamb Mannerhelm. Lamb shocks her extremely religious and conservative parents (Hunter and Offerman) when she renounces God in front of her church and leaves town (for the first time) to head to Vegas. She recently survived a plane crash, in which she burned a large percentage of her body, so now she's given up her faith and wants to experience the normal life she thinks she's been missing out on. When she arrives in Vegas she's treated like an outcast by almost everyone she meets (due to the conservative way she's dressed, her attitude and her plane crash scars) but befriends a bartender named William (Brand) and a lounge singer named Loray (Spencer). They take a liking to Lamb because of her uniqueness and positive spirit and help her on her adventure. The movie was originally called 'LAMB OF GOD', which would have made a much better title (I think).

Diablo Cody is one of my favorite film writers; I love her stories, characters and overall writing style (I also really like her style as a person). Her films seem to often have really positive messages also (as well as really strong and likable heroines). This film definitely has a good message about family and friends as well as faith and religion. It also tells a great story about being yourself and not caring what people think about you. Like I said it's only real problem is Cody's inexperience in directing; it's a little clunky at times and doesn't seem to know how to end. The performances are all great in it though and one of my other big film heroes (besides Cody) is Russell Brand. He's recently became a big political hero of mine and I like all of his film characters. He's hilarious and he also plays really lovable and well intentioned misfits as well (he lights up this film every time he appears on screen). I'm not sure how much of his brilliant dialogue is due to his amazing improvisation skills or Cody's genius writing but they make a great team and almost make up for the lack of skill in Cody's directing. It's definitely a worthwhile filmgoing experience, if you're a fan of Cody or Brand or are just looking for a positive and uplifting film!

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After an interesting start, Paradise plunges to the depths of pure boredom and a waste of time. When the lead character meets Russell Brand after about 15 minutes, the movie's whole direction changes and becomes close to unwatchable. Not that it's Russell Brand's fault, the film becomes stagnant and never regains any momentum. Interest wanes and the story lacks any coherent reason to continue watching. The film is not well constructed and I found myself asking why it was ever given a green light. The writing lacks any bite save for the opening and it is a waste of time. It almost plays like a Lifetime movie and I avoid those films like the plague. I saw this film on my cable provider's Video On Demand, it has not been released in theaters yet. I think this is done to generate revenue when they have a questionable title that they feel will not do well when it is released. When they do this, little is known about a film so caution should be used. I should have taken my own advice!!

3.9 of 10. No excuses for Diablo Cody with this film. She wrote and directed. Despite doing both, she once again shows she has only a grasp of satire the way a virgin has a grasp of sex. It's an improvement upon the Juno mess, but not much.

Cody seems to have a strength in ideas and setting up gags, but really needs help from a more expert story teller/director so her stories are something more than artificially prolonged Saturday Night Live gags.

As others have pointed out, it starts strong, much like Juno, then Diablo's lack of depth, knowledge, and creativity becomes exposed and turns the film into melodramatic tedium that only someone stuck in a hospital burn unit could enjoy.

My first impression was to despise the movie, thinking it was going to extoll the corruption of a young girl raised conservatively to embrace the sordid prevalent "values" of modern society (generally promoted by mass media in most movies, TV shows and video games today, but I changed my opinion. The characters in the movie show her out of place and different than those she encounters in her journey, but the contrast is that her naivety is refreshing and almost envious. Being sheltered in life may leave one innocent but also protected from many scars and bad life experiences that most people encounter and from foolish behaviors that are deemed socially acceptable today. Refreshingly, it actually was a thoughtful movie, and will make people think about their own values. I liked it!

The initial premise is a good one - how a tragedy can make someone lose his/her faith and the principles on which he/she has based living. And then (about 10 minutes into the movie) it goes off the tracks and devolves into a bad after school special - a really, really bad one.

Lamb (a very bad character name) is supposed to have been protected from the evils of pop culture but when she travels through Vegas she seems to know quite a few pop culture references. The bad girl activities which she undertakes are lame and tame. The "jokes" are even worse…"I'll have the Peach Shnap" as she misreads the bottle behind the bar. Ha Ha.

The backstory for 2 people who befriend her are glossed over - thereby wasting the talents of Octavia Spencer (and maybe Russell Brand if I am being generous in the definition of "talent"). Oh yeah, Lamb's parents (the extremely talented Holly Hunter and Nick Offerman) barely register any screen time or decent dialog and are additional examples of wasted opportunities.

Sure, Lamb grows some through her experiences but it all comes too easily and too readily to her. And the audience can see the resolution way before it happens.

Such a disappointment from a talented writer and director, and a gifted cast so badly misused.