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Paterson | Jim Jarmusch | NYFF 2016

Paterson is the latest from director Jim Jarmusch and what a simple tale it is. Jarmusch, who also wrote the script himself, lovingly shows us a week in the life of Paterson (Adam Driver) a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey. I know, it’s really exciting stuff.

There is a charm to the simplicity of the plot and the way Jarmusch lets it all unfold. We see Paterson’s organized routine, waking up early, getting ready to go to work, engaging in conversation with fellow bus driver Donny (Rizwan Manji). We see him driving around New Jersey, and get glimmers of the mundane, everyday conversations that Paterson sits in on as a bus driver.

Whenever he gets a second to himself, he’s scribbling away in his notebook, writing poetry that Jarmusch quite poetically shares with us on screen. He then returns home to work to his loving wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) who he loves deeply, and then takes out Laura’s dog Marvin, who he doesn’t quite share the same affection for. But he takes Marvin out for a walk so he can make his routine stop at a local bar for one single beer, and engage in conversation with the bartender Doc (Barry Shabaka Henley) and a love-sick patron named Everett (William Jackson Harper).

It’s a simple story, but the talented Jarmusch is able to make all these characters, no matter how big or small, gush out of the screen and seem larger than life. There’s a poetry in motion to seeing the world from Paterson’s eye, a rather beautiful look at the simplicity of everyday life that the director captures so well. Not every movie needs to be about a tale of epic dramatic proportions, sometimes a story about the everyday man or routine life of a blue collared worker can reveal subtle details of humanity that speak to the soul.

Adam Driver is an actor who has worked with so many great directors in such a short period of time and it’s no wonder why. Along with doing some pretty big work such as Star Wars, the actor is free to work on any type of movie that he so desires. But he clearly is interested in selecting good, interesting roles, and he’s made a hell of a choice with Paterson. Driver conveys a natural stoicism to this character who is just trying to get through work, make some great poetry and love his wife. This is made easy as Golshifteh Farahani is truly a real charmer in this role, showing love and affection in many different ways. She’s an eager learner and wants to explore all different avenues of art, cooking, and experience.

Paterson will surely is not the most riveting film of the year and most certainly won’t be for all audiences. But for those who are willing to enjoy a film that celebrates the every day man and the little details that make up a day – they will find Paterson to be like a good poem and allow it to charm them from start to finish. It’s simplicity works in its favor and allows it to separate itself from the rest of the pack as one of the best films of the year.

Rating: 8.8/10


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