Investigative reporter Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) returns from Miami to his backwater hometown to chase the high-profile story of Hilary Van Wetter (John Cusack), a man convicted for the murder of the local sheriff. Joining him are his partner Yardley (David Oyelowo), death-row groupie Charlotte (Nicole Kidman) and younger brother Jack (Zac Efron). The Jansen family maid, Anita (Macy Gray), narrates the unfolding story.
As they dig deeper, the truth they seek gets perverted by their own self-deceptions and justifications. Further complicating their investigation are the sexual and racial tensions of the era, which are an ever-present background blur when not abruptly brought into focus.
Contrasted with the steamy and sleazy white-trash scenes between Charlotte and Hilary, the sexual dynamic between Charlotte and Jack is mostly playful, and even when provocative can be surprisingly funny ("If anybody's gonna piss on him, it's gonna be me!"). Whether that amuses or offends is a good litmus test (or urine test) for how you'll like the movie.
John Cusack is genuinely disturbing as Van Wetter, who begins losing any sympathy from the audience immediately but is impossible to ignore. McConaughey gives a restrained performance that is nicely balanced by Oyelowo's intensity. Efron, though often made to parade around in his underwear, goes beyond his pretty boy persona. Kidman shines as a complicated character that is part naïve, part calculating, and mostly damaged. Gray stands out as the cynical and sad (and sometimes spaced-out) Anita.
Some scenes come across as superfluous and play like DVD extras. Other scenes seem disjointed, as if one has gone missing (the ending is particularly rushed). Anita's voiceovers are inconsistent, and at one point bizarrely address the movie audience directly ("I think you've seen enough").
Based on Peter Dexter's novel (who co-wrote the screenplay with Daniels) "The Paperboy" occasionally gets lost on too many different paper routes. But one thing the movie is not is ordinary, and in that sense "The Paperboy" brings good news.
| Movie title | The Paperboy |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2012 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Though it occasionally gets lost on too many routes, "The Paperboy" delivers. |
