Directed by Lee Daniels
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman
Film noir meets farce in Lee Daniels (Precious) dirty southern drama The Paperboy.1960s south Florida is the backdrop as investigative reporter Ward Jansen, (McConaughey) his partner Yardley (David Oyelowo), younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) and sultry Charlotte Bless (Kidman) track down the sensational story of their careers.The group attempts to prove Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) was framed for the murder of a corrupt local sheriff.
The film is based on the bestseller by Pete Dexter and competed for the Palme dOr at this years Cannes Film Festival.Initially, the movie opens effectively with plenty of snappy dialogue and solid acting. Kidman oozes southern sexuality as a death-row groupie, Efron sheds his former High School Musical innocence and is able to flex some dramatic muscle while McConaughey exudes coolness with just enough mystery under the surface.Credit should also be given to the creepy and sadistic Cusack who gives a small but memorable performance and singer Macy Gray as the family maid and films narrator.
Stylistically, The Paperboy conveys some effective imagery; actors appear with little to no makeup and the Florida humidity is always present on their sweaty brows and torsos.Things soon fall apart around the movies bloated mid-section when the narrative veers into melodrama, too much even for a noir, and eventually descends to sheer absurdity.Inevitably, what begins as an old-fashioned mystery becomes a muddled, crowded mess of backwater swamps and dirty sex, leaving behind any real connection to the films promising start.
