As my first Jim Jarmusch (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) film viewing, I am quite impressed. Jarmusch brings out great performances in his layered characters, while subtly dropping heavy symbolism throughout Paterson. The film is a deep look at a single person's daily routine as he gets up, drives his bus for work, and ends up at the bar each night. Rather than being repetitive like Groundhog Day, this film is a closed circle of commentary. Yes, the story loops and certain elements are kept constant. However, we do not have to drudge through the same thing happening over and over on a smaller scale.
The shining element that keeps this film rolling is the character development. One might argue that there is not a lot of development in the characters, but I would argue that each day there is a different perspective for each character. Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Inside Llewyn Davis) fits perfectly into the role of Paterson, a bus driver by day and a poet by night. Everything around Paterson is constantly changing, yet his routine remains the same. Driver plays a passive and yet productive character, which is a hard concept to understand. Alongside Driver, Golshifteh Farahani (Exodus: Gods and Kings) plays a great supporting actress as Laura. As Paterson's partner, Laura can get into his mind and yet never fully understand him.
This film would be fun to view and then discuss in a group because of its deep metaphors and symbolism. No matter how many times I watch this one, I will always have different thoughts about what Jarmusch was getting at. Right now, I am contemplating a theme that relates to twins. I am not sure what Jarmusch was trying to say with the theme, but clearly there is something there. If I ponder this one for a while, maybe I will have an answer in the near future. Yet, if I rewatch the film I might change my mind. That is the beauty of this film!
The Bottom Line: It's not full of action, but it is full of dense character writing and a deeply symbolic screenplay.
Score: 9.4/10
The shining element that keeps this film rolling is the character development. One might argue that there is not a lot of development in the characters, but I would argue that each day there is a different perspective for each character. Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Inside Llewyn Davis) fits perfectly into the role of Paterson, a bus driver by day and a poet by night. Everything around Paterson is constantly changing, yet his routine remains the same. Driver plays a passive and yet productive character, which is a hard concept to understand. Alongside Driver, Golshifteh Farahani (Exodus: Gods and Kings) plays a great supporting actress as Laura. As Paterson's partner, Laura can get into his mind and yet never fully understand him.
This film would be fun to view and then discuss in a group because of its deep metaphors and symbolism. No matter how many times I watch this one, I will always have different thoughts about what Jarmusch was getting at. Right now, I am contemplating a theme that relates to twins. I am not sure what Jarmusch was trying to say with the theme, but clearly there is something there. If I ponder this one for a while, maybe I will have an answer in the near future. Yet, if I rewatch the film I might change my mind. That is the beauty of this film!
The Bottom Line: It's not full of action, but it is full of dense character writing and a deeply symbolic screenplay.
Score: 9.4/10
Image credit: By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49203449
