Paddleton

I had the privilege of watching the world premiere at Sundance. It's a poignant story of friendship between two men who have chosen to live a simple, uncomplicated life. At first I felt sad for these characters, who seemed to be just existing. But as the story moved along, what at first seemed mundane became a sense of comfortable routine. When faced with a terminal diagnosis for Michael, the pair embarks on a stoic journey through his final chapter. Along the way they reveal parts of themselves that were previously muted. Watching them maneuver the stages of grief, while knowing what the final outcome will be is heart wrenching. By the final scenes I was openly sobbing. The performances by Mark Duplass and Ray Romano pulled out a whole gamut of emotions. I found myself at various times laughing out loud, occasionally slightly uncomfortable, unendingly empathetic, and often sad. This is why I love movies, especially ones as beautifully made as this.

The climactic scene in Paddleton would have to rank as one of the most incredible pieces of cinema I can remember. Ray Romano and Mark Duplass produce a moment that is virtually unmatched in its authenticity and honesty. I can barely believe what I just watched, it's a scene that will stay with me for a long time.

Prior to this, Paddleton moves along slowly and tentatively which is clearly by design. The improv style is a difficult beast to tame but Romano and Duplass do it with panache and no lack of humour. It's a definite change of pace to your average modern movie but it is well worth sticking it out.

A real sleeper of a film that brings the topics of life, death and friendship into startling focus.

A short, simple, bittersweet, emotional watch. Though this film has not much in the way of visuals or anything of note on a technical level, the film is bolstered up by two great lead performances (especially from Ray Romano) as two very vivid characters with oddly specific, yet relatable traits.

A fragment of life. No past or future, just a fragment. Almost like a documentary. Predictable? Yes, but it still made me cry. The movie is not about what happens in the end , it is about a journey and that person who walks that last path with you with you. "Why did we have to buy this? Any 100 pills would give you the same result".

I did not know what to think about about this moving when I first saw it on Netflix. It had Ray Romano so I thought it might be good and clicked on it. Wow, not a funny, chipper afternoon watch but I was hooked by the way it was filmed and how it flowed.

It did not over power the dialog with emotional music or scenery, it let you get there on your own and when the ending happened, you felt it. Both the sadness and the hope.