Country: USA
Movie Review: After a passable debut with “Robot & Frank”, director Jake Schreier proceeds to a bolder move with “Paper Towns”, a teen tale, set in Orlando, that even not breaking new ground, injects freshness and consistency in its characters and plot, and weaves a particular mood that is part mysterious, part charming. The film was based on the 2008 novel by John Green, feeling much more empathic than his opportunistically tearful success, “The Fault in Our Stars”. The 18-year-old college finalist, Quentin (Nat Wolff), is the narrator of the story, starting by telling us that he always had a crush for his quirky neighbor, Margo (Cara Delevingne). At the age of nine, when riding their bicycles, they’ve found a dead man. This happening was kind of a shock for Quentin, but represented a moment of excitement for Margot, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After that, the two friends have almost stopped talking to each other until a certain day when Margo incites Quentin for an all-night adventure, daring him to break into colleagues’ houses just for the pleasure of feeling free. She talks about paper towns and paper people in a way to show her disillusion with the world she lives. The reconnection was positive and Quentin gains new hopes in conquering his beloved’s heart. However, Margo skips school the following days, disappearing mysteriously with apparently no traces. Only Quentin was able to detect indecipherable clues, which take him for a memorable road trip to Agloe, a fictional place (paper town) located in the state of NY. He drives in the company of Margo’s best friend, Lacey, and his two loyal buddies: Ben (Austin Abrams), the film’s funniest character, and Radar (Justice Smith) who decided to take his girlfriend. Relentlessly obsessive, Quentin may be in good company, but he’s the only one who seems to believe that Margo is worthy and can be traced. Thus, this game of lost and found and self-discovery engenders a surprising, sweet ending.
