Paterno

Very disappointed in this sketchy HBO presentation. which glosses over many key characters and injects bits and pieces of real events and presumed behaviors to a viewing audience which can be easily confused by the scattershot script and direction. It seemed like a series of story boards out of order. The film needed much more character development, as well as more coherent storytelling.

While its not another HBO masterpiece, I found it interesting enough to watch the whole thing and enjoyed it. I liked many things about it but I also didn't like some things, and I'll talk about that. At the beginning, it starts with the indictment so I was worried we wouldn't give enough background going back to 1998, but thankfully the film has many flashbacks and the reporters are also used as an explanation device of the past. The film did not shy away from the tough aspects of this tough subject. I did enjoy the Paterno scenes where he is confronted on the charges and how he deals with it, though it can be a little slow. I found the framing device to be interesting and Al Pacino's performance was great, I didn't see Al Pacino, I saw his character. The cinematography was also top notch, what can be expected from and HBO movie. But there were things I didn't like, and I will discuss it.

I personally didn't like how they opened it, they opened it in a spot where a lot of things already happened, but to be fair the film does go back and explains things. The pacing is also hit and miss, sometimes things are paced fine, and sometimes I felt it jumped around too quickly. I also wish is a bit longer or a show because there were a couple story points I feel could have been explored more and would have been beneficial to the story to delve into. I also didn't connect with any of the other characters except for Paterno, no character really stood out and wowed ne. All in all it was an interesting enough film that I finished and mostly enjoyed.

Barry Levinson's Paterno wants the viewer to know that this legendary college football coach, Penn State University and its football team supporters cared more about its football program than the fate of some of the young people sexualy abused by an assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky.

The film opaquely hints as to how much Paterno might had known as to the abuse taking place and like other people just turned a blind eye.

After a wonderful expansive opening where Paterno as head coach takes the team to a record breaking streak. This HBO film settles down as a Shakespearean tragedy, almost like a stage play.

Al Pacino's Paterno is a man out of his time. Confused, weak and sick. He is an octogenarian who knows all about college football but has no way to handle the mess he finds himself in.

The film contrasts Paterno's fate with that of local newspaper reporter Sara Ganim (Riley Keough) who doggedly pursued the story of the child abuse and who earned the trust of the families.

However the flip flopping between the two story strands feels like a distraction. Levinson's approach comes across as mild, even anodyne lacking the moral outrage of a movie like Spotlight.

As I studied at PSU (The Pennsylvania State University) in 2009, I felt fortunate to have this opportunity to learn, albeit a surreal sadness at some dark happenings underneath the "Happy Valley" life, as it's known colloquially. This movie seemed to capture the essence of my memories - a work ethic and a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League, and esprit de corps which few will ever rival... I only met Joe-Pa one time, at a game. I felt so lucky to shake his hand, and knew I was in the presence of greatness, a man larger than life, a man with his name on the library I would spend so many hours sleeping in... haha That said, I only met Graham Spanier one time, by happenstance - I was searching for a seminar related to Asian Diaspora, but walked into the wrong lecture hall. I have never been greeted with more rudeness, or condescension in my life. I felt so small, and he gave me his card, advising me to refer any problems (regarding my attendance, etc.) to a number, which I just discarded.

There were good and evil people who manifested this story. I felt no sadness for President Graham Spanier, as I thought very little of the man. I felt no empathy for the "security": Vice President Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley. In my humble opinion, these men were negligent in their most basic of duties, and I don't feel the need to extrapolate. I must come to terms and accept that this will never happen again, but only if people become less like my hero: Joe-Pa, a man only guilty of being naive in a world which doesn't revolve around football. Naivete aside... The acting, on all accounts, and by all involved, is stupendous! I cannot believe the low ratings, but I feel it will never be appreciated by those who never met the men involved, or understand the deep love of sports, success, and all those who facilitate it and further great institutions. I hope people may see beyond the media hype, and see this as a story of victimization, which can no longer be an ignored secret. We can no longer tolerate a society which ignores social problems, such as child abuse. I hope this movie, done in excellence, as far as acting and directing, iserves as a cautionary tale and is not judged simply because it was not as exciting as a Marvel flick. This should go down as one of Pacino's unrecognized, great works, for those of us who revered Joe Paterno. Thank you for reading, and stay ever vigilant in today's society. (9/25/2018)

I'm not going to talk about the film as a film because, it seems to me, a pointless exercise. We all know the story. Painful, bitter, shattering. What we didn't know, what we couldn't even imagine is what was in Joe Paterno's heart in mind. Now we have a plausible, profoundly human version of it, in Al Pacino's eyes. I saw a decent man of his generation confronted by the new approach to decency. I saw in his eyes a sort of resignation, the kind of resignation suffered by the decent man who knows he's guilty. Al Pacino is still breaking ground, still at the vanguard of his own profession. Hurrah !