I don’t think I know enough about Van Sant’s ouevre to really say anything about him, but I do know that he’s gay and that as an auteur, his commercial films from “Finding Forrester” to “Good Will Hunting” and the more arty “My Own Private Idaho”, “Gerry”, “Elephant”, and his early work “Mala Noche” all focus on male characters who are, each in their own way, outsiders. And I mean “outsiders” in the broadest sense of the word: these are men that live on the seamy underbelly of society, they are either forgotten or actively antagonized by mainstream society, they are at war with the expectations of that society, they are tempted by it–they feel the pull of it, and are offered jobs, security, love, the silver spoon–and by the end of his movies, they have either tendered a wholesale rejection of society or else have reached some tenuous modus vivendi with it. They are men with secrets and secret desires that place them at odds with other people. I don’t know if any one who knows much or has seen many of Van Sant’s films would agree with this, this very rough sketch of an auteur study of Van Sant, but I would love to hear from anyone who has an opinion on the matter.
As for “Paranoid Park” itself, here’s my highly condensed “review” of it:
Acting: most of the teenagers in the film are clearly non-actors, and I like that, for the most part, though there are a few scenes and characters where the lack of acting skills sort of takes you out of the “zone”, out of the story, of the characters’ worlds and makes you realize you are watching a film, and of course, that, unless you are Godard, sorta defeats the point of filmmaking.
Cinematography: Done by Christopher Doyle, so what can I say? Lush and loving–it’s clear that Van Sant loves the way these people look, and wants to share that with us. The many close-ups with shallow DOF remind you of nice medium format camera portraits; these are the not the kinds of shots you seen in abundance in most films. And of course that’s part of what makes it good. Van Sant/Doyle understand the beauty of the (young) male body, and there’s a sensuality in the way that they film that is quite refreshing, especially since what passes for “sensuality” is usually just shots of women who already have great bodies, wearing skimpy outfits and arching their backs. That’s just too easy, any one could film that. Part of what Van Sant does, however, is to not only use photography, but manipulate time–by slowing down the camera, using slo-mo actually, so that what you get really is a kind of freeze frame that reminds you of still photography.
The shots of Portland and the Oregon coast are astounding as well. The leaves, the grass, the urban landscape, the cafes, the skate parks, the railroad tracks. The film has some local flavor and that too is something rare these days, at least in American films.
Story/Plot: Well, it was OK, nothing special. Some might find it a bit incredulous, but it really isn’t.
Final note: The main that gets chopped in half and is still alive for a moment is pretty cool looking–it reminds me of something from “Alien”.
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