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Product Description
The acclaimed director of MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, ELEPHANT and LAST DAYS. When Alex, a 16-year-old skater, plucks up the courage to go to Paranoid Park - Portland's most challenging and infamous urban skateboard destination - he didn't expect his night to end with the death of a railway security guard. Deciding to say nothing about the incident, Alex does all he can to lead a normal life, but is troubled by a crushing burden of guilt which impacts on his relationship with one of his school's most sought after girls and his relationship with his parents. Soon, he finds he needs to tell somebody his secret, but with the police closing in his choice of confidant could mean the difference between being caught and being free. Stylishly shot by internationally acclaimed cinematographer Chris Doyle (In the Mood for Love) and featuring a brilliant lead performance by newcomer Gabe Nevins, Paranoid Park is Gus Van Sant's most extraordinary and visually arresting film to date. EXTRAS: Making of Documentary / Secret Cinema Event / Original Theatrical Trailer
Review
Mesmerising, Excellent --Total Film
Visceral Genius --i-D
Exquisitely shot --The Times
Visceral Genius --i-D
Exquisitely shot --The Times
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
... as some on here are claiming.
A simple story written and acted well. Top marks to Gus van Sant for using local teenagers instead of bratty child actors (think Jaden Smith)
A great Indie film - not perfect - but certainly an inspiration to anyone looking to make a low budget movie.
A simple story written and acted well. Top marks to Gus van Sant for using local teenagers instead of bratty child actors (think Jaden Smith)
A great Indie film - not perfect - but certainly an inspiration to anyone looking to make a low budget movie.
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Whilst the premise seemed good, the final execution failed.
A young, socially inept boy, who seeks identity in the fantasized (perhaps overstated) world of skaters is forced to face his reality after causing the death of another. The central character (Jake Miller) is much like the movie, somewhat removed and dream-like. He seems as if he is merely part of his world, and his interactions are forced and at times staged. If left alone, and allowed to merely exist I suspect he would be a far happier individual, albeit a consequence of his dysfunctional family. If Gus Van Sant was attempting to portray such dysfunction and its consequence on a young mind, he may have partially succeeded, although I am of the opinion his final product is at times overstated and overstylised.
I was not convinced by the characters 'overwhelming guilt', instead I found him to be pathologically removed at times. His lies seemed calculated, as was his interactions with the police. For a displaced young man I found his intentional deception and lack of empathy, substantively revealing and beyond his youthful 'innocence'. Clearly he was either incapable of measuring truth or determined not to accept such. More accurately he finally chooses, and that choice ultimately lacks substance.
In the end the movie was a little grey and unsettled. Almost as if Gus Van Sant was more about setting the scene, as opposed to developing the character. The acting was a little naive, although Jake Miller was not bad. I suspect Van Sant wanted a natural, unrehearsed feel for the final product, which ironically had the effect of making those rehearsed scenes seem staged and unnatural.
Compared to 'Elephant', 'Mysterious Skin' and 'Brick' this film lacks what others have achieved so well.
A young, socially inept boy, who seeks identity in the fantasized (perhaps overstated) world of skaters is forced to face his reality after causing the death of another. The central character (Jake Miller) is much like the movie, somewhat removed and dream-like. He seems as if he is merely part of his world, and his interactions are forced and at times staged. If left alone, and allowed to merely exist I suspect he would be a far happier individual, albeit a consequence of his dysfunctional family. If Gus Van Sant was attempting to portray such dysfunction and its consequence on a young mind, he may have partially succeeded, although I am of the opinion his final product is at times overstated and overstylised.
I was not convinced by the characters 'overwhelming guilt', instead I found him to be pathologically removed at times. His lies seemed calculated, as was his interactions with the police. For a displaced young man I found his intentional deception and lack of empathy, substantively revealing and beyond his youthful 'innocence'. Clearly he was either incapable of measuring truth or determined not to accept such. More accurately he finally chooses, and that choice ultimately lacks substance.
In the end the movie was a little grey and unsettled. Almost as if Gus Van Sant was more about setting the scene, as opposed to developing the character. The acting was a little naive, although Jake Miller was not bad. I suspect Van Sant wanted a natural, unrehearsed feel for the final product, which ironically had the effect of making those rehearsed scenes seem staged and unnatural.
Compared to 'Elephant', 'Mysterious Skin' and 'Brick' this film lacks what others have achieved so well.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
One of the most fantastic films I've seen in years; a kind of poem to disaffected and marginalised youth, unbelievably shot and scrored, a work of strange, dream-like beauty exploring the question, in a teenage world where no-one really connects on a meaningful level with anyone else, and from which parents are excluded, how do you expunge a guilty conscience ? Stunning.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An arthouse disaster
i bought this film hoping to be entertined but man this is awful, seriously terrible. what the hell is it about, nothing. just a vanity project. avoid.
Published 13 months ago by ekb
A haunting indie drama.
This is an excellent indie drama which follows the character of Alex, a 16 year old high school student who after a late night visit to a skate park, nicknamed locally as 'Paranoid... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Ernie
Yawn
This film is just dire.
Not only is it painfully slow, disjointed and lacking in any substance of any sort at all, it is ultimately pointless. Read more
Not only is it painfully slow, disjointed and lacking in any substance of any sort at all, it is ultimately pointless. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2008 by Dyspeptic Spirit
American Hoodies
I found this DVD almost lifeless. It's central character had as much charisma as potato and actually looked like a pale version of a King Edwards. Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2008 by S. Birch
Bad Acting But Its Still A Good Film
I went to the cinema to see Paranoid Park at the on a whim after I had been refused a ticket to see Hostel Part 2, I didn't have a clue what it was about. Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2008 by Claire Frances
Regrets, Regrets.
Y'know what I regret?
I regret believing that this was actually going to be a decent movie, or that Van Sant had taken his recent style and 'notched it up'. Read more
I regret believing that this was actually going to be a decent movie, or that Van Sant had taken his recent style and 'notched it up'. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2008 by D. T. Brunetti
Casting, storytelling and music
Three elements work together in this film to create a near masterpeice. I am not a fan of art films but this film succeeds where many others have failed. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2008 by Joshua E. Cole
Boring movie about a boring kid.
A well-to-do teenage boy suffering from typical teenage middle-class angst accidentally kills a man. Read more
Published on 31 May 2008 by Spider Woman
Style over substance
This film revolves around a horrific incident involving a young skateboarder called Alex and the subsequent effect this has on him, but there didn't seem to be much going on here... Read more
Published on 29 May 2008 by The yellow dart
hints at interesting phenomenology but dated subject and overly...
Given the number of positive mentions this film received by critics during 2007, and after Elephant and Gus van Sant's contribution to Paris Je T'Aime, I had been looking forward... Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2008 by jrhartley
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