User reviews

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.

"Let the sin begin." Lamb Mannerheim (Hough) is a young woman who is very religious and has everything going for her. After a plane crash leaves her scarred on 75% of her body she begins to question everything. One day she can't take it anymore and refutes the existence of God in front of her church. She then sets off to find her own way and have her own experiences and what better place to do that then Las Vegas where she meets an angry lounge singer and a friendly bartender (Brand). Before watching this one I did something I don't normally do, I watched the trailer for it. The trailer made me laugh and I was looking forward to it even though I'm not a Russell Brand fan. This movie is an example of why I don't watch trailers. While I did like the movie and I am glad I watched it, it wasn't really what I would call a laugh-out-loud comedy. This is from the writer of Juno and the comedy is more that style. This is almost a bi-polar movie. One minute you are laughing and smiling the next you are crying and depressed. This is good but be prepared for that. Overall, a good movie that is worth watching but be prepared for the roller coaster. I give it a B.

Don't listen to the naysayers here.

This movie is not as fast paced as an Avenger movie - but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching. The main character in this film evolves, slowly, from the over-sheltered life growing up in a conservative, religious town in Montana, to a person who clearly and accurately sees the world as it is. She sheds the lies and inaccuracies fed to her by her parents and religious community to see life as it really is. In doing so, she saves herself.

Well worth a watch! Some really great dry humor! Feel good movie!

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!!

This could have a great movie based on the cast alone - Holly Hunter, Nick Offerman, Octavia Spencer & Russell Brand. It could have capitalized on Juliana Hough's singing talent in one or two scenes. The opening scene of a girl with a serious crisis of faith, gave a hint of a comedy to come. No such luck. When sheltered country girl Juliana Hough decides to leave her small religious community after surviving a horrible accident and go to Sin City to experience life's naughty pleasures, there's a premise (Don't let those previous fool you!) that this could be funny. It's NOT. The first sign of this is when she makes offensive comments about Muslims...and shortly later, about Jews. Not funny, just racist. During her travels, she meets a charming bartender played by Russell Brand & a disillusioned lounge singer played Octavia Spencer, and I hope things will pick up. In fact, I hoped I'd hear Octavia & Julia sing together by the end of the movie. Nope. Russell Brand's witty commentary is not enough to save this dreary movie. Octavia is relegated to dispensing dime store wisdom. There isn't much of a plot. It's not funny. It's not moving. In fact, it's rather contrived. At one point, I thought I was watching one of those Christian movies, and I'm still not sure I wasn't. But one thing is for sure: I was terribly disappointed in such a waste of a great cast and a potential for a great movie plot.

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.

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!

'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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Review: Although the jokes were quite silly, the concept was sweet and the gullible Lamb Mannerhelm really did have a life changing experience in Las Vegas. The storyline follows Lamb Mannerhelms journey into exploring the world after suffering severe burns in an airplane crash. With loads of money at her disposal after the airline pays her out a lump sum, she heads to Las Vegas after denouncing God in church in front of her family and Christian congregation. Whilst in Las Vegas, she becomes friends with William (Russell Brand) who is a bartender in a seedy club. She also becomes friends with Loray whose a singer in the same club and she decides to show her the real Las Vegas. When William finishes his shift, he joins them on there crazy journey and Lamb gets introduced to many different aspects of the world. Its a sweat storyline which is based around people who have to live with a disability and find it hard to go out into the world. With the help of William and Loray, Lamb soon realises that she can do some good for people who also have there own insecurities and money problems, like the prostitute that she meets in the toilet. I would have liked to have seen what the prostitute done with the money but the director chose to cut that element out of the movie. Anyway, I liked the chemistry between Lamb, William and Loray and the progression of her journey was quite enjoyable. I must admit, I was expecting this movie to be really crap but it actually wasn't that bad. Russell Brand was quite toned down compared to a lot of his other performances and he showed a lot of sympathy to Lamb's disability which was a great touch to the storyline. Although the movie didn't get the big budget treatment and it didn't go down well with critics, it still has a very sweet concept which was enjoyable in places. 

Round-Up: Although Julianne Hough, 27, isn't a household name, she has starred in some big movies like Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, Burlesque, Footloose (the remake), Rock of Ages and Safe Haven. There wasn't that much more that she could have done with the role in this movie so I can honestly say that she put in a good performance but I can't really remember her in any of the other movies. She hasn't really got that much in the pipeline in terms of major releases and as this movie didn't do well at the box office, she still has a way to climb before she hits the big time. This is the first movie directed by Diablo Cody, which is why it didn't get a massive distribution budget but she did write Ricki and the Flash which is an upcoming movie with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline, the award winning Juno, the funny Young Adult and the weird Jennifer's Body. Most of the movies that she has directed have definitely touched audiences heart, from an emotional point of view but she hasn't been able to hit the same height as she did in 2007 with Juno. Personally, I think that she done a great job with this movie but it's a shame that it will go under the radar because of its poor ratings.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their emotional comedy/dramas about a young girl who gets injured in a plane crash and leaves her small town to experience the world. 4/10

After a near-fatal plane crash, 21-year-old Lamb Mannerheim (Julianne Hough) is beginning to realize that the world is much bigger than her small, God-fearing Montana town. Armed with a huge insurance payout and a list of undone sins, there's only one place for her to get a taste of temptation... Las Vegas. And, with the help of some new friends, William Carr (Russell Brand) and Loray (Octavia Spencer), Lamb embarks on an eccentric odyssey of lost souls, broken faiths and cheap cocktails... a true journey of the heart.

Having built her reputation as a purveyor of witty wit (or preciously annoying p*ns, depending on your perspective) and somewhat campy explorations of the female experience with scripts like "Juno" and "Jennifer's Body," Diablo Cody takes a surprisingly restrained approach in her first experience behind the camera. To be sure, the setting of "Paradise" - the good Christian girl from Montana loses her faith and leaves for Las Vegas to learn about life - is rife with opportunities for indulgence in all sorts of pop-cultural observations and fish clichés. Out of the water. And indeed, the film's opening scene, in which the fatefully named character Lamb (Julianne Hough), after surviving a plane crash with horrific burns to her body, heads to her church and shocks the congregation by declaring " There is no God", shows little interest in avoiding the kind of easy condescension that does not seem promising for this pilgrim's progress.

With a sense of humor as sharp and tart as lemon juice, screenwriter Diablo Cody has proven herself to be one of the most refreshingly volatile voices in Hollywood since she wrote "Juno" in 2007. Her scripts brim with biting sarcasm and explosive confidence. Yet from the moment Julianne Hough's good girl-turned-rebel arrives in Las Vegas at the beginning of "Paradise," Cody's directorial debut, the writer-director seems as anxious and insecure as the central character in your film. Fortunately, Cody opts for a surprisingly sweet and generally irony-free story instead. There are a few mentions at Vegas id***cy and a scene in which a drunken Lamb is nearly taken advantage of by two id**ts, but for the most part, the filmmaker avoids bitc*y irreverence. Newly arrived at a saloon where she has her first drink in her life, Lamb befriends bartender William (Russell Brand, following his usual routine) and artist Loray (Octavia Spencer), both with an edgy but sweet touch, who guide our character in the right direction. As she tries out and then rejects typical Vegas pastimes like drinking and gambling, our heroine searches for her own way of life, something that lies halfway between the excess of Sin City and outright religious repression.

"Paradise" smartly avoids the cynical antics that characterize most Vegas-set films, though it can't find anything more captivating to replace them. Instead, this surprisingly lackluster film offers bland encounters, sentimental attachments, and largely wraps up its narrative. One of the worst of these scenes is a long crying session between Lamb and a prost**ute (Kathleen Rose Perkins) in a club bathroom, which tweaks but still embraces the old cliché that the prost**ute exists to meet the hero's non-sexual needs. Heroin. And while the film shows some interest in illustrating the plight of Vegas service workers, it's clear that they're only there to serve the interests of our angelically blonde protagonist. While Loray, a part-time film student, explains the concept of the "magical N**ro" to Lamb and insists that she has no interest in playing that role, she more or less does exactly that, providing the young girl with the tips she needs to achieve your self-discovery. But what Cody ignores is that simply offering self-criticism doesn't excuse a film for surrendering to what it's criticizing.

Despite a promising start, Cody's film soon unravels into a hodgepodge of missed opportunities. Films about Las Vegas invariably fall into one of two categories: either they embrace the city's sinful nature - as in "The Hangover," or they take scathing satirical digs at its cost - as in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". However, what Cody offers us is a cocktail of sugary confusion, which attempts to combine the two concepts with the seriousness of a quick wedding in Las Vegas. Her script doesn't hesitate to make sarcastic observations about the depraved environment, but it is also happy to see our innocent heroine and her two new friends (Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer, one an insufferable know-it-all and the other an insufferable alcoholic) happily connecting with so much depravity.

Holding the film together as best she can is Julianne Hough, who maintains Lamb's delightfully deadpan delivery of a naive charm that complements her character's crisis of faith. But unfortunately, Diablo Cody's inability to develop confidently as a director undermines much of her protagonist's work. The director does her initial directorial effort no favors by trusting Hough to run the show. Though beautiful in an above-average way, the stiff-necked "Dancing with the Stars" winner lacks the spark necessary to make us care. She is unconvincing as either a rebel or the kind of conservative Christian girl who would say things like "That smells like a wh**e" after smelling a stick of hotel soap. It's obvious that most of the time it's Cody, not Lamb, who's doing the talking, even though this conservative character couldn't be more opposed to Diablo. As for Brand, who is eager to get under Lamb's compression garments, he plays himself, with his signature thin voice. He and Spencer convincingly embody the tired, lived-in side of Vegas, guiding the wide-eyed blonde on a mundane tour of the city, something only locals experience (explaining the little-known fact that most of the Strip exists in a town called Paradise, not in Vegas). In case you think Spencer's casting might have been a casting choice that ignores racial issues, the script includes a winking digression about "the Magical N**ro."

"Juno" played with conventions, subverted clichés and truly created its own style. Seriously, how many imitations have tried to capture its cool charm since then, with middling success? Add "Paradise" to that list, as it takes Cody's own clichéd, over-the-top reality and shamelessly tries too hard. It doesn't get more confusing than a story about a programmed Catholic girl from Montana who gets a second chance at life after being burned alive in a plane crash, renounces God, and goes to live in the only place her naive mind can imagine what it's like. A hedonistic paradise of deliciously sinful experiences: the Las Vegas Strip (also known as Paradise, NV). It's so awkward that her first friendly encounter there jokingly asks if she got into the first five minutes of a p*rn film upon hearing the premise.

But here's the thing: the impression it gives is that Diablo Cody does this on purpose. The line itself is so directly self-reflexive that it would be a crime if it weren't. Add our burned girl with scars everywhere except her face; new friend Loray (Octavia Spencer) literally drawing attention to the fact that she is the stereotypical "Magic N**ro" in the story; narration so clearly ironic and typical of a fish out of water, and everything seems like satire. Much of this is also due to Hough's limited acting skills - this wide-eyed, personality less, mocked religious figure is probably his best performance - adding exaggerated theatrical expressions to each joke. She turns the film into a prolonged eye-roll; something far from horrible until the big "lesson learned" ending proves that the film is exactly what I thought it was mocking. Even this ending is confusing, as Cody's moral epiphany brings more parody. It's one thing to find out that Lamb's parents (Holly Hunter and a bald Nick Offerman) are "tolerant," but to have them subverted by saying, "as long as your beliefs remain very conservative" is too much. The joke is there, but Cody seems unable to let it exist on its own. Your constant desire to shove them down their throats ruins any mood they would have had on its own. If she spent less time on that and more time developing the story, "Paradise" could have been much better. Instead, it seems she thought adding more comedy would make us forget that the emotional connection built by Lamb and his new friends in Vegas is nothing more than a device to include said comedy.

When the credits roll, we are sure that the screenwriter used this work to criticize everything she condemns: American conservatism, criticizing the Republican Party trying to make her hometown seem like the worst place in the world to live full of fanatics religious and conservative people who don't know what they say and do, increasing all the lines and actions uttered from the mouths of these characters, especially those uttered from the mouth of the protagonist's father. It's as if the city were an extreme amplified version of "Footloose", since in this city you can't dance, drink, sing, date, in short, it seems like a conservative dictatorship to the screenwriter, something that everyone must escape to live their lives. Cody still has time to portray all men as walking trash (harassingly teasing the protagonist in the elevator, trying to take advantage of her in a bar after she's been drinking, etc.), and he also uses other themes from Hollywood's progressive playbook, trying to shove down shallow criticisms linked to blatant racism and how the conservative life full of constraints portrayed in an exaggerated way is harmful and reprehensible.

Bravo to Diablo Cody - this film is not for those looking for fast cars, explosion, raucous sex and heads hitting the screen even though most of the scenes take place in Las Vegas. This film is more gentle than the sarcasm in Juno and the main character is much more innocent and benign than in Young Adult. I have only seen Julianne Hough in Safe Haven, but she brought Lamb's crises of faith to life with a believable mix of emotions and believable physical and emotional suffering after a personal and physical tragedy. The opening scene of her denouncing the conservative culture of her cloistered, religious community is hilarious and an effective set up for why Lamb chooses Vegas as her travel destination. Although the humor and drama is more tame after that, I enjoyed traveling on Lamb's journey as she ventures to Las Vegas, NV, "Satan's adult playground", to begin taking control her life and experiencing the world beyond her small town. I loved the genuine scene as she is approaching the zip line launch pad and she exclaims, "I'm so excited" as her friends are reluctant - it was the embodiment of youth and invulnerability which her character hadn't had in a while. This was the first time I'd seen Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer, and I enjoyed the unveiling of the relationship between their very likable and appealing William and Loray - for people at a waystation in life and in the underbelly of the service industry, forming familial bonds is one of the touching things that gets you through. And although the script shows us that Loray is sarcastic and avoidant, and William is a bit of player but with a good heart, it's in the gentle safety of their bond that they decide to be Lamb's guardian angels for the night, and in the process evolve a bit more themselves. Their kindness and flow is a contrast to the detached Amber in the somewhat awkward bathroom scene when Lamb realizes she has overdone it, but this shows Lamb (or the viewers) they are truly her friends and as she shares once they find her again in the overwhelming crowd, "Not everyone's wounds are on the outside." I found it completely refreshing that William protected Lamb's innocence when she made a pass, and there were no gunshots or car explosions. Nick Offerman and Holly Hunter were comical in their unfortunately, accurate perception of conservative and religious America that tunes out any people or information that might challenge or enlighten their beliefs (and this is part of what makes the script, and Diablo Cody, clever and smart) but Lamb gains the confidence through her suffering and Las Vegas experience to love them anyway and literally soar beyond their confines to live her life to the fullest and help others. A surprising gem and pleasure to watch, even an inspiring reminder that life is short and the world is big, so get to it. As William says at 4am to an exhausted and confused Lamb, "There are more places than the extremes of where you're from and Las Vegas on the continuum, you know."

How cute, how sad, the loss of faith and its recovery, through comedy and a softened drama, a teenager who had an accident, was very burned, her saga painful, and of questioning of faith, and a lot about the excess of religions, the trio of captivating characters, and the cute, sad, beautiful and funny parents...

Leave it to the award winning screenwriter of Juno to write a comedy about a burn victim. Paradise is about Lamb, a highly sheltered young woman who was raised under strict religious values by her family in small town in Montana. A traumatic plane crash leaves most of her body severely burned, she later gets a large settlement of money from suing the plane manufacturer. The movie begins with lamb announcing that she will not give any of her new found riches to the church as originally planned but will go out to Las Vegas and start to enjoy life. When she arrives at sin city Lamb become friends with a female lounge singer, (Octavia Spencer) and an amorous British bartender (Russell Brand). Together they help Lamb check off things from her "Bucket List of Sin" in the city that never sleeps.

I must be clear that I am a Diablo Cody fan, I have been since the beginning when she wrote her novel Candy Girl, about her experiences as a stripper. What makes Paradise unique is that this is the first feature Diablo Cody wrote and directed. I had to check this movie out and watched it keeping that in mind. This movie, Paradise was made on a lower budget then the previous films she wrote. It was shot digitally, not on film but I feel this did not take anything away from the story because it was so funny and well written.

The witty dialogue in this film is what you would expect from Diablo Cody. It is the kind of humor that makes you laugh and then laugh louder when you think about it more. This writer's use of voice over is also a strong element. Cody said that this voice over was an after thought, conceived while they were editing. This narration helped carry us through the story, I am glad they added it. By the time I reached the films ending it was clear that this movie was more than just your run of the mill comedy. Diablo Cody paid attention to every detail, she foreshadows things nicely and it shows.

How well did this accomplished screenwriter do as a director? The movie looked good and showed off a different side of Las Vegas. The camera movement was motivated and supported what was going on in the scene, something first time directors can have trouble with. In a recent KCRW radio interview Diablo Cody said that being a full time mother and a director was too much, that she does not want to direct again. She did a great job. Maybe someday when her kids are older she will changer her mind and take the director's chair again. If Paradise is any indication, her fans will still be there. I know I will.

• Review written by Curt Wiser, writer director of the thriller Cam-Girl (aka Web-Cam).

I watched the trailer and I immediately wanted to rent it. The story alone is great, Russell is in it too so I thought thats a bonus. I had no idea who the actress was in this movie. She was phenomenal! Her beauty and great acting made this story come to life. This isn't just a movie. It's a story of a girl who pursues dreams. She got sick of her life and wanted to break free of the restraints and her injury. I really enjoyed the movie. I got lots of smiles, laughs, and heartfelt moments. Immediately after the movie I had to find out who this amazing actress was, cause she also sang well and I knew that was her voice. Julianne Hough......come to my surprise she's been on the top country charts, she has a few movies and is making another one right now called Curve. I see her becoming a big actress. I would highly recommend this movie if you're looking for some laughs, get a bunch of smiles, and you want something inspirational. After the movie, she makes me want to get up and do what she did.