La Face cachée de Margo

Fight Club meets The Virgin Suicides. Similarly as in the case of The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns is – within the boundaries of the genre – tasteful entertainment with a likeable cast, a praiseworthy message and an apparent attempt to deconstruct the conventions of teen movies. As in TFiOS, adolescents talk like adults, the tone of the narrative is inconsistent, the narrator’s bookish commentary telegraphs all of the important ideas, many of the scenes are superfluous and some clichés are broken down only so that they can be replaced with other clichés. If we were to continue comparing Paper Towns to the preceding adaptation of Green’s novel, it definitely has a better rhythm thanks to the music and precise editing, and its unusual narrative structure (prologue, three acts with their own obstacles and climaxes, epilogue) constantly keeps us in anticipation of what will happen next. The “sabotage” revenge comedy is seamlessly followed by a high-school comedy, which turns into in a road movie whose point comprises a criticism of the stereotypical roles usually played by girls in teen movies. Though she disappears from the story after approximately 40 minutes, Margot actually remains the main and most interesting character until the end, as she seemingly sets the course for Quentin’s journey of self-discovery and serves as the key to the central idea (as suggested by the film poster and the cover of the first American edition of the book). SPOILER. It becomes apparent only in the climax that the whole adventure wasn’t actually a game set up in advance – it was such only in Quentin’s eyes, as he was blinded by his own construct of the ideal girl. What I find most thought-provoking about Paper Towns is the final, self-conscious drawing of attention to the ambivalent role of women in teen films (the girls don’t have their own story, even though they cause the male characters to change). END SPOILER. In order to make the story’s metaphorical level (the important thing is not the unrealistic goals for which we strive, but that which we already have) more comprehensible, the filmmakers employ midcult references to Moby Dick. Otherwise, however, they manage to avoid creating an inflated sense of importance and the pretence of depth through comedic exaggeration and digressions into gross-out comedy. The incorporation of these elements into a perceptive story about stepping out of our comfort zone makes Paper Towns a refreshing contribution to the category of teen movies. If I was a member of the target audience, I would find it delightful. As it is, I am “only” pleasantly surprised. 70% (23/07/2015)

The new Green deserves every viewer in their late teens who considers Paper Towns an absolute idyll. Because just like the adventure-hungry soul craving for experiences like the labors of Hercules remains within us for a lifetime, so does the awkward type who needed to find someone more than anything else. Maybe he found them, maybe not. But precisely because we have all had to let go of the most precious thing at least once, the final road trip is perfectly liberating. When I read the book, I couldn't decipher the last act in a way that didn't hurt. And yet on screen, I finally accepted Quentin and Margo's story in every aspect – and it was an indescribable catharsis. So farewell for now. Time is running out, and someone has to start searching for those clues. (24/07/2015)

Nice film about what can happen when you fall in love. These coming-of-age films and breakthroughs, when a person leaves high school, are quite rewarding, especially because they are usually very good. This one is good. It is funny, nostalgic, and at times truly beautifully absurd, which I simply enjoyed. I fell into a slight nostalgic mood. (12/10/2015)

The story was definitely great, as well as the ending. Most of us have been through this in one way or another. This might be why the movie as a whole just didn't resonate with me, only struck me by how ordinary it was and fizzled out. Not as good as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but it's definitely up there in the top half as far as teen movies go. It's nice to see that Cara Delevigne is not likely to stick out like a sore thumb in the Suicide Squad, as she might actually be more than just a model. (05/01/2016)