PAPER TOWNS (2015)

Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Jake Schreier
Cast: Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Austin Abrams, Halston Sage, Justice Smith, Jaz Sinclair
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: 20th Century Fox 
Official Website: http://www.papertownsmovie.com

Opening Day: 23 July 2015

Synopsis: Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars"), PAPER TOWNS is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears--leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship--and true love.

Movie Review:

For those who scoffed at the runaway success of ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, you’ll be glad to know that this latest adaptation of a John Green novel doesn’t boast the former’s tragic overtones. No doubt it’s yet another coming-of-age story for two adolescents, one male and one female, but ‘Paper Towns’ is a much less melancholic affair than its tear-jerking predecessor. Indeed, if you’re looking for a film that beautifully captures the naivety and wistfulness of adolescence, you’ll probably be thoroughly won over by the sweet good-natured charm and wit that director Jake Schreier and his screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber bring to the material.

At the centre of Green’s story is Quentin (brilliantly played by Nat Wolff, who was the scene-stealing supporting act in ‘Stars’), a smart slightly-nerdy high-school senior who has had a crush on his next-door neighbour Margo (a luminous Cara Delevingne) since they were kids. As children, they were best friends and partners-in-crime, although that came to a head when they discovered the body of a man who’d committed suicide – while Margo had been keen to go to Sea World to find out why he’d killed himself, Quentin had declined to join her. The years since have since them grow apart, especially since Margo has grown up to become the hot fun-loving girl at school who is usually the centre of attention.

All that changes when Margo turns up one night at Quentin’s window seeking his help to exact revenge on her not-so-loyal friends, including her ex-boyfriend Jase (Griffin Freeman) who cheated on her, her ex-best friend Becca whom Jase was cheating with, and another of her supposed best friends Lacey (Halston Sage) whom Margo resents for not being enough of a good friend. The first act unfolds almost like a thrill ride for Quentin, their pranks leaving him feel more alive than he has ever been. It also establishes the titular reference to the trick that cartographers use to catch others who might steal their works – “it’s a paper town with paper people,” Margo observes, looking out at the city of Orlando on one of the high floors of the SunTrust bank building.

After giving Quentin the night of his life, Margo promptly disappears the next morning. Unfolding like a puzzle, the second act primarily consists of Quentin’s search for Margo, following what he thinks are clues that she has left regarding her whereabouts. Quentin is joined by his band-mates Ben (Austin Abrams), Radar (Justice Smith) and his girlfriend Angela (Jaz Sinclair), as well as Lacey, who worries something might have happened to Margo. At the risk of missing prom, they embark on a road trip up the East Coast, which turns out to be an unexpectedly bittersweet adventure before they head off to university and/or their own separate ways. Margo is pretty much absent from the middle act, but the easygoing chemistry between Quentin and his friends ably captures recalls the sweet/ raunchy spirit of the best teen comedies.

But it is the final act that truly brings it home, which in effect is about who Margo is not. Yes, as Quentin’s wild-goose chase finally comes to an end, it finally dawns on him that the Margo whom he thinks she was is no more than his idealised version of her, an identity he had created based on who he wants her to be. It may not be as drastic as running away, but it is a poignant reminder to those of us who have similarly admired someone popular in school that what we think about who the person is often is quite different from who that person really is – and in a way, rather analogous to the film’s title. That was the heart of Green’s award-winning novel, and Schreier portrays it with heart-arching beauty.  

That credit also belongs to his delightful cast, including Wolff as the grounded, sympathetic centre of the show and Delevingne as his mesmerising but enigmatic love interest. There is genuine spark in their onscreen coupling, which goes a long way in convincing us why we would go to such lengths to track her down. As much as this is a romantic mystery, it is also an ode to the joys and anxieties of teenage life on the cusp of transition, where what used to be cheerful insouciance is slowly but surely replaced with the uncertainties of the adult world. Amidst the house parties, cool teen-speak and the heedlessness of youth (including a Confederate flag T-shirt that has unfortunately taken on new meaning with recent events), there is an unmistakable air of disquiet, and it is a sentiment that we suspect will be greeted with familiar nostalgia.

And though it does contain the usual teen movie clichés, ‘Paper Towns’ is a very agreeable coming-of-ager that doesn’t try to present another dystopia in describing the inner emotional struggles of adolescents. It is funny all right, charming without a doubt, and lined with the sort of melancholy that stays with you long after the credits roll. Like ‘Stars’, it also has a hip indie rock soundtrack to boot, many of which are perfectly selected to complement the mood at that particular point of the narrative. Best thing about it? It doesn’t try to be cool for its own good, and instead comes off sincere, earnest and authentic about the teenage experience. 

Movie Rating:

(It may not have a tear-jerking twist like 'The Fault in Our Stars', but this part-romantic mystery, part bittersweet road-trip from the same author is also equally winsome, charming and poignant)

Review by Gabriel Chong