Paper Man – An eOne Films’ Release

http://www.papermanthemovie.com/

DVD Release Date: January 18th, 2010

Rated 14A for coarse language and mature themes

Running time: 110 minutes

 

Kieran Mulroney (dir.)

Michele Mulroney (dir.)

 

Kieran Mulroney (writer)

Michele Mulroney (writer)

 

Mark McAdam (music)

 

Jeff Daniels as Richard Dunn

Emma Stone as Abby

Ryan Reynolds as Captain Excellent

Lisa Kudrow as Claire Dunn

Kieran Culkin as Christopher

 

Our reviews below:

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Paper Man DVD Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

In Paper Man, Ryan Reynolds plays Captain Excellent – the imaginary superhero friend of failed novelist Richard Dunn (Jeff Daniels).  After moving to a small town, Richard is at a crossroads in his life.  He’s drawn estranged from his wife, Claire (Lisa Kudrow), and finds himself taking refuge in a tender friendship with the teenaged Abby (Emma Stone), who is still recovering from a troubled past.

 

Starting out as an indie effort with enough quirk to spare, at first we aren’t sure where Paper Man will end up.  It does take a little long to get off the ground, but the movie ultimately leads us on a dark and surprisingly touching journey of more complex emotion.  It won’t be for everyone, but with good performances – particularly from Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone – this small character study is one worth checking out.

 

The DVD includes a “making of” featurette.

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Paper Man DVD Review By Erin V.

*** (out of 4)

Jeff Daniels plays Richard Dunn, a struggling novelist who is taking a vacation in a small town to try to write a new novel.  He and his wife Claire (Lisa Kudrow) are distanced both physically and emotionally, as she doesn’t understand why he is still so attached to his imaginary friend from childhood, Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds).  In this small town, Richard finds himself becoming friends with a local teenager named Abby (Emma Stone) who has similar troubles to him.

 

The acting is good, which is what makes this film work.  Captain Excellent is strange and funny at the same time.  Although it bumps a little getting started, as the film goes along it gets better.  It is largely because of the casting that the script works, as a lot of the dialogue if delivered differently may very well have fallen flat.

 

Later this year, Ryan Reynolds will be playing the Green Lantern, but for now, we can see him as Captain Excellent in Paper Man on DVD.  Granted, this film is not going for the same demographic at all.  This is a small indie human drama, while the aforementioned is an action-super hero pic.

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Paper Man DVD Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Many people can remember having an imaginary friend.  Most, however, outgrow this phase.  Paper Man is about a middle-aged writer, Richard (Jeff Daniels) who just can’t say goodbye to his imaginary friend, Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds).  In an effort to get writing inspiration, Richard and his wife, Claire (Lisa Kudrow) rent a cottage in a small town.  While living there, Richard meets Abby (Emma Stone), a lonely 17-year-old with a tragic past.

 

The two develop an unlikely friendship, with Abby almost like the daughter that Richard never had.  Claire, however, mistakes the friendship for something else, causing more friction in their already fragile marriage.  Eventually, everyone must grow up and let go of their past.  Only when this happens can everyone deal with their problems.

 

Paper Man is a very interesting film.  While it starts out as a quirky comedy, the film picks up in the second part, when Abby and Richard become friends.  Jeff Daniels portrays Richard’s friendship with Abby as something perfectly innocent, never to delve into a predatory affair.  Emma Stone pulls off snappy and clever lines, while Ryan Reynolds adds comedic wit.  Paper Man is a coming of age film of sorts, and is one worth seeing.

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Paper Man DVD Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

Everybody needs a friend, and sometimes friendship comes from the unlikeliest of places.   Richard (Jeff Daniels) is a middle-aged writer struggling to start his next novel.  When his wife, Claire (Lisa Kudrow) drops him off at a secluded cottage so he can work uninterrupted, Richard is left alone with his anxieties and the one thing he can count on, his special friend, Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds).

 

It’s when Captain Excellent appears that the movie gets really quirky and amusing.  Richard’s imaginary friend, dressed in superhero cape and tights provides a mix of moral support and cautious warnings.  Ryan Reynolds as Captain Excellent is campy and fun.

 

The second half of Paper Man takes on a more dramatic and touching tone when Richard meets Abby (Emma Stone) a wise talking but emotionally fragile, local 17-year-old.  Their platonic friendship helps them both grow up and let go of the past.  It’s Emma Stone’s wonderful performance as Abby that makes Paper Man worth watching.

 

With an excellent cast and a nice mix of humour and drama, Paper Man is an interesting independent effort.

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Paper Man DVD Review By Tony

**1/2 (out of 4)

Richard (Jeff Daniels) rents a Long Island cottage to write his second novel while his successful surgeon wife Claire (Lisa Kudrow) works in the city. His serious writer’s block is not really helped by his imaginary friend, the ridiculous superhero Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds). In the town nearby he meets Abby (Emma Stone) and awkwardly asks her to babysit for him. Even though there is no kid, she agrees to stay for the money, using her time to read his book and cook for him. Thus an innocent friendship develops between them.

 

We gradually discover Abby’s own issues–a boyfriend (Hunter Parrish) that only uses her for sex, a mysterious friend (Kieran Culkin) watching over her, and a traumatic past. Meanwhile Richard becomes more desperate, removing furniture from the cottage and letting Abby’s friends party there and trash the place, which Claire doesn’t appreciate. As the common bond between Richard and Abby becomes more evident to them (and to us), they help each other heal, leading to a hopeful outcome.

 

The first feature written and directed by spouses Kieran and Michele Mulroney, Paper Man is a very strange film that is ultimately rather sweet. Brilliant performances by Daniels and Stone with fine support from Reynolds and Culkin keep us interested in these characters, despite all the weirdness.

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Consensus: With good performances from a talented cast, and a quirky storyline that’s handled with a surprising amount of emotional depth, Paper Man is an interesting character study that is worth checking out. *** (Out of 4)