Paper Towns (2015)

5:43 PM

Get Lost...Get Found
Paper Towns is directed by Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank) and is inspired by the John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) novel. The film stars Cara Delevingne (The Face of an Angel) and Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars, Behaving Badly). "A young man and his friends embark upon the road trip of their lives to find the missing girl next door". Is John Green just a one hit wonder when it comes to big screen adaptations or should his whole collection of novels be turned into movies?

I have three words for Paper Towns - Funny, Charming, Amazing - those words describe this film perfectly. Now, when I first heard Paper Towns was being adapted into a film, I had mixed feelings - I was excited because I loved The Fault in Our Stars (one of my favourite movies of last year) but I was also very wary as one of my friends who read the book found it rather boring. However, when I saw the trailer, I got even more excited because it looked great and then I went to the Paper Towns event in London which excited me even more. However, then the reviews came in and it went into rotten territory on Rotten Tomatoes. Paper Towns - truly has been on a roller coaster in my mind. However, judging it myself, Paper Towns is one of my favourite movies of the year so far! Like The DUFF, it is an instant classic in the teen movie genre - its just brilliant! 

The biggest reason that I probably like this film is that I am the intended audience - I am a 17 year old and the film is about characters around a similar age - this means that the film is very relatable and made it easier for me to connect with the characters. I felt that the film didn't sugar coat anything about teenage years - it was kind of about a teen missing out but then getting to experience everything just in time. So, I have to say, from my opinion and Twitter's - Paper Towns has definitely succeeded in impressing its target audience. 

Unlike The Fault in Our Stars which was rather emotional - this film was hilarious! The chemistry between Q and his friends was so funny! My favourite scene was when Ben needed the toilet in the car - the scene was hilarious! I also really liked the scene where the boys were scared so sang Pokemon - the film is just extremely likeable and is probably the definition of a 'feel good' movie. I also really liked Margo's messages to her friends who have wronged her - they related so well with the prank that she gave them! 

Now, Paper Towns doesn't really have any major star power driving it which may be a reason for the low box office numbers in the US. However, I feel that Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff and the entire cast did a fantastic job! Delevingne especially - she captivated the audience everytime she was on screen. Delevingne was also really believable as Margo - I really liked her and her character and feel that she will have a solid future in Hollywood. Wolff also did a fantastic job - he managed to hold his own when Margo goes missing which I feared wouldn't be the case. However, Austin Abrams, Justice Smith, Halston Sage and Jaz Sinclair all did fantastic jobs also - it was also nice to see a really diverse cast which is probably the more true reflection of friendship groups in today's society. Paper Towns is definitely well-acted. 

The soundtrack for Paper Towns is also very good - the songs all suited each moment perfectly so credit has to go to whoever penned the soundtrack. 

What I will really take away from Paper Towns however is that is is a really inspirational and moving film. The quote from Margo "this is your comfort zone, all the things that you want are way out there" - I thought that this quote was really true and it will stick with me for a long time - praise to Green and Delevingne for writing/delivering it! SPOILER: the moment where Margo & Q are reunited sent literal chills up my spine - I thought it was a really great moment and the soundtrack really helped this moment. Paper Towns isn't the traditional happy ending and the choice Q makes is probably the most realistic choice that your everyday person would make (Mates Before Dates ;) ). I also really liked how the film handled the representation of women - one of the scenes is literally about a female character feeling annoyed that all she is thought of is beautiful - she wants to be known as smart, cool etc. Paper Towns is probably the most realistic representation of today's teen society that you will see in film this year. I also liked the whole idea of 'Paper Towns' and that you can't be joyful and happy all of the time - you have to be real. 

Paper Towns is truly a pleasant surprise - the film has great acting from the entire cast, a superb story and a near enough completely accurate representation of today's teen culture. The film is also smart and brings the audience on the adventure. The film may not have the ending you were expecting but the choices that are made are probably the most realistic. Paper Towns is also a beautiful film - some of the shots were really pleasing to the eye. 

Paper Towns is an instant teen classic. 

5 STARS
A+

What did you think of PAPER TOWN? Does it live up to The Fault in Our Stars? - COMMENT BELOW


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