Paterson

Composite Score: 82.47

Starring: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Nellie, Rizwan Manji, Barry Shabaka Henley, Chasten Harmon, William Jackson Harper, Method Man, and Masatoshi Nagase

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Writers: Jim Jarmusch, William Carlos Williams, and Ron Padgett

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

MPAA Rating: R for some language

Box Office: $9.59 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Paterson is Jim Jarmusch’s film about a bus driver living in Paterson, New Jersey, who aspires to write great poetry like his favorite poet, William Carlos Williams, and his interactions with the many people in his town and on his bus over the course of a week. It features a commendable performance from Adam Driver as the lead, also named Paterson, along with solid supporting performances from Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, and William Jackson Harper. At its heart, Paterson celebrates the little details of life and presents a beautiful meditation on poetry, dreams, and human connectedness. Its comedy, its romance, and its drama work together to craft something that, while simple, can resonate with any audience.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                Like the literary style at its heart, this film presents a lot of feelings and technique with not much of a story. As such, people looking for conflict and dramatic action might come away feeling a bit let down. The film’s biggest points of conflict end up turning into something closer to comedy than drama, and the film’s biggest protagonist ends up being more of a joke than a serious contender. As a whole, the film works, but like the poetry it patterns itself after, it is not going to be for everyone.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Paterson’s commitment to presenting poetry as film makes this one of the more unique films in existence. It reflects its literary counterpart, particularly the modern poetry that features so prominently throughout, skillfully, presenting each day as both a new poem and a new stanza to the greater poem that is the film. In the same way, it presents the mundane events of day-to-day life in Paterson – people on the bus, hangouts at a bar, a guy in a laundromat, etc. – as spectacle, worthy of being watched because someone was willing to film it. The celebration of the everyday through poetry leaves the audience also feeling celebrated and gives the film a quiet optimism despite the surface-level precarious situations that most of the film’s characters find themselves in.

                The performances of the film’s recurring characters help make the film as great as it is, starting with Adam Driver and going on down the list. Driver’s Paterson works well as the fly-on-the-wall protagonist of the film, taking in all that goes on in Paterson to channel it into his poetry. His subtle performance feels incredibly real as he struggles to express his emotions and feelings through anything but poetry. In contrast to his subtlety, Golshifteh Farahani brings an eclectic and fun energy to his significant other, Laura, as she flits from hobby to hobby and passion project to passion project, ever-encouraging and ever-lovable in the process. Barry Shabaka Henley’s Doc serves as the ideal bartender/mentor figure for the film, bringing a feeling of authenticity to his role as he feels deeply connected to the town and to the characters, serving as a connection point for the whole film. William Jackson Harper’s Everett throws a refreshing wrench into the works as he skillfully portrays a hopeless romantic who just wants to love and to be loved by a woman who will not love him back. The film’s ensemble cast gives life to the city of Paterson, allowing Driver to do all that he needs to in the film’s leading role as he comes to more deeply appreciate the beauty of life.

                Paterson’s well-acted performances blend with its representation of poetry as film in a celebration of life and our connection to one another that certainly belongs among the Greatest Films of All Time. Its minimal conflict and lighthearted nature might dissuade some fans from enjoying the film, but those who stick it out will be rewarded with a unique film, full of life. This film is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video if you are interested. Check it out.