Paper Man (2009)

Pretty Good

Awesome Movie

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

'Paper Man' is a bizarre and tediously dull movie that never even seems sure of what it's trying to achieve. Most of the film is nothing more than a generic friendship story. A middle-aged man going through something of a midlife crisis befriends a younger girl, who helps him get back on track. But the man also has an imaginary friend, 'Captain Excellent', who I guess was supposed to bring the humour to the film... with little success.One of the main problems with 'Paper Man' is that it's so slow that it almost feels like its going backwards. It really is boring, even for someone with the patience of a saint. You would have thought a character like 'Captain Excellent' would have made the movie more interesting, but no. He adds very little to a film that already doesn't have much going for it. Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone are probably the only positives to speak of. Both deliver good performances and share the odd decent scene. Ryan Reynolds on the other hand, the less said the better.

A writer with no inspiration and no friends starts a friendly relationship with a local girl. He asks her if she could come to his house and be a babysitter but it seems there is no baby to look out for. Although her charges are expensive the writer is willing to pay her for the provided services. Once in a while her wife passes by and misunderstands her relation with the young girl and soon the two begins to argue. So the movie is humble, the type that doesn't reach anywhere. Lack of variety in locations, characters or the story witch don't develop make it a little boring at a time. Also the mains character imaginary superhero friend removes the film seriousness, I mean this can happen only if you are a child but seeing him on his kid bike and spending so much time among teens does not fall far from the truth. Final words it's watchable for those who don't mind to watch the same scenario all over again and they do not have any new expectations from it.

I had no idea this film - Unlikely Hero - even existed until I saw it on the shelf in my supermarket, it looked funny, it said it was hilarious so it was Netflix'd. Well, firstly, it wasn't hilarious. I'd not even say it was a comedy but it was very good. I think Paperman is a better title, to be honest.The incredible Jeff Daniels stars in this dark, melancholic, psychological film as the author who has hit writer's block and is battling depression and other issues, including the fact that he still has his imaginary friend, in the form of superhero Ryan Reynolds. Emma Stone is the brilliant, unlikely friendship he meets on his sabbatical to write in an out of the way town, and the complexity of both their lives, their joys, pains and despair is what the film is about. The film leaves a lot to the imagination, doesn't explain a lot and leaves an awful lot of questions unanswered. It's not a particularly satisfying film, in that it seems to end in a way that you wouldn't write yourself, there's no denouement or happy ending, just ... well watch it and see.Whilst not satisfying in terms of plot, there is a lot of commend this film for. Namely the performances of the actors, it is funny in a dark and dry sort of way, and it does deal with some rather tough subjects. It is enjoyable, if for the adventure of discovery that it takes you on. Having not known anything about it I found it a rather pleasant film-watching experience. I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, but I wouldn't not recommend it as it was a good piece of independent (Sundance) film.

Review: I quite enjoyed this light drama/comedy about a writer who has an imaginary Superman- like alter ego, who is played by Ryan Reynolds, and his new found friend who is played by Emma Stone. The storyline does take some time to get going, but once it does, it's quite sweet and enjoyable. All of the actors put in great performances, especially Jeff Daniels who plays the lead and is struggling to write a book throughout the movie. I liked the original concept which was cleverly put together, and the many different elements keeps you interested in the development of each characters storyline. Watchable!Round-Up: The poster that goes with this movie is very deceptive because it looks like it's about a superhero. As this movie was made in 2009, Emma Stone & Ryan Reynolds wasn't household names yet so it didn't make a big impact, which is a shame because I have seen worse. Lisa Kudrow, who plays Jeff Daniels wife, was a great choice by the director because her style of acting suited her role. Anyway, it's light hearted fun which has a deep undertone.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $14,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into there drama/comedies about a struggling writer who has a Superhero as an imaginary friend. 5/10