'Paterson' A Review

Paterson is a drama film centered around bus driver and poet Paterson in Paterson, NJ, the latest from writer/director Jim Jarmusch. The film follows the routine of Paterson(Adam Driver) over the course of one week. He gets up, has breakfast, walks to work, drives the bus, returns home to have dinner with his wife Laura(Golshifteh Farahani), takes her dog Marvin for a walk and stops in for a drink at his local bar. Over the course of each day he steals time to write poetry, refining throughout the day.

Driver as the anchor of the film is more restrained and compelling than he has ever been. He is the quiet center of this slice-of-life naturalistic tale. He conveys the simple strength and interest of this blue collar poet with a reserve that allows for both humor and a resonant truth. Farahani is similarly naturalistic but whose character is more impulsive, overtly artistic, and charming. A great compliment to Driver's restraint. The two have excellent chemistry and through their performances convey a remarkably balanced and enviable relationship while also showing the necessity for individual lives which in turn compliment the partnership. The supporting cast are all truly wonderful working together to create an American normalcy which is fascinating because of the characters and perspectives which inhabit it. The film also has a refreshing diversity which feels authentic but doesn't pat itself on the back or call attention to itself, it feels like real life rather than contrived casting.

Through repetition and routine the film shows not only the beauty and transcendence available in normal day-to-day life but also provides perhaps one of the most clear portrayals of how inspiration is sought, found, and interpreted. With poems being written, voiced over by Driver, appearing on screen, and then in some cases this process is repeated with the poem being refined we get an authentic sense of the creative process. Although seemingly sedate and predictable the film offers a world of insight on creativity, relationships, compromise, passion, and ambition.

Tranquil yet thrumming with vitality, elevating the work-a-day world to potential enlightenment.

Don't Miss It.