Paterson (Jim Jarmusch, 2016)

[hearthesilence]

Jim Jarmusch's next narrative feature, Paterson, will be starring Adam Driver.

[Jeff]

Jim Jarmusch's next narrative feature, Paterson, will be starring Adam Driver.

Deadline obviously didn't read Amazon's press release very well. They (and other outlets like The A.V. Club who picked up their story) imply that the film will go into production later this year.

Jarmusch kept the production low-key and quiet, but the film wrapped shooting on November 13th.

[hearthesilence]

First look at Adam Driver in Jim Jarmusch's Paterson.

[D50]

Is Jim Jarmusch's Patterson playing (theater) or streaming anywhere?

[CSM126]

Not until December.

[JamesF]

Or, November 25th if you're in the UK and Ireland.

[Randall Maysin]

Not until December? Does that mean that someone, somewhere thinks that a Jim Jarmusch film will finally be nominated for an Oscar?

[zedz]

Wishful thinking, as this is a very wistful and slight (in a good way) film even by American indie standards, but stranger things have happened. It's charming, it hinges on a very good central performance, and it's beautifully shot by a legendary cinematographer who (to my surprise) has never even been nominated for an Oscar, so admirers of the film have a couple of obvious targets for nomination lobbying, even if Jarmusch getting any personal recognition is a long shot.

[hearthesilence]

Absolutely adored this. Will write more later but I didn't think it was slight at all, on the surface it's quiet, small and modest in scope, but there is a LOT going on. One of his very best films.

[dda1996a]

Saying this is one of his best is lofty praise indeed, considering his output. Putting everything from Coffee and Cigarettes until and including Limits of Control being his only lesser period, I loved everything else he made.

[hearthesilence]

I've grown to appreciate Coffee and Cigarettes quite a bit, and I love The Limits of Control. A friend dismissed the former as Jarmusch shows off his cool friends, but it's telling he didn't bother watching the second half - part of what makes that film great and not just a collection of shorts is how each part echoes and plays off another, culminating in the very poignant finale. And the overall concept of The Limits of Control is the ultimate deadpan Jim Jarmusch joke - a spy movie with all the individual elements of a James Bond movie, put together so that none of them add up to one, quite the opposite. There's a gun, but it's never used, or possibly even loaded. There's a naked girl, they sleep together, but there's absolutely no sex. We get an exotic locale but instead of going to the beach or anything especially glamorous, it's museums and the same two espressos at a less-than-glamourous looking cafe. And that's just the humor, others have written about more interesting aspects of the film.

[zedz]

Absolutely adored this. Will write more later but I didn't think it was slight at all, on the surface it's quiet, small and modest in scope, but there is a LOT going on. One of his very best films.

Well, that was the point I was making: "quiet, small and modest in scope" plus, let's not forget, "without conventional conflict", definitely equals "slight" by Oscar standards. I agree that it's a great film and I think its avoidance of conventional drama is one of its main strengths, but I think it's going to be a hard one for Academy voters to latch onto. Its 'high concept' is "a bus driver writes poems." The only best picture nominee this century that I can think of with dramatic stakes anywhere near as low is Boyhood, and that film had a completely different 'high concept'.

[hearthesilence]

Given the asinine remarks made by certain Academy voters in recent years, I wouldn't put much value in their collective viewpoint on anything.

Driver was a wonderful surprise - I didn't really know his work outside of a few small roles and "Star Wars," so this was a bit of revelation for me. I wouldn't call his character an introvert, but there are aspects of him that are very private and internal (all relating to his art and creative process), and he's able to express those parts in a lovely natural way, especially in his close ups.

The film echoes some of Jarmusch's recent films in small but remarkable ways. Paterson's row of books remind me of Eve's in Only Lovers Left Alive (they do share at least one, Infinite Jest, probably many more). Same goes for the wall and mirror collages of notable figures. The overhead shots of their bed remind one of a loving overhead shot of Adam and Eve. Also, besides the Iggy Pop reference, the use of the word "dirt" packs a similar punch in both Gimme Danger and this film. In that documentary, there's a card near the beginning that introduces the story, mentioning how the Stooges are now revered in rock history with long and verbose praise. Then it ends the card with "But in 1973, they were dirt." One simple word that is the totality of their miserable reputation at the time. In Paterson, the word pops up again in a similar way.

What I love most about the film is how it portrays the creative process, especially in the context of routine daily life, which in this case actually frees up Driver’s mind to create these things since the normal patterns of his daily life never serve as distractions - they simplify things.

[dda1996a]

I've grown to appreciate Coffee and Cigarettes quite a bit, and I love The Limits of Control. A friend dismissed the former as Jarmusch shows off his cool friends, but it's telling he didn't bother watching the second half - part of what makes that film great and not just a collection of shorts is how each part echoes and plays off another, culminating in the very poignant finale. And the overall concept of The Limits of Control is the ultimate deadpan Jim Jarmusch joke - a spy movie with all the individual elements of a James Bond movie, put together so that none of them add up to one, quite the opposite. There's a gun, but it's never used, or possibly even loaded. There's a naked girl, they sleep together, but there's absolutely no sex. We get an exotic locale but instead of going to the beach or anything especially glamorous, it's museums and the same two espressos at a less-than-glamourous looking cafe. And that's just the humor, others have written about more interesting aspects of the film.

To be honest I was going by critical opinion. I just watched Coffee and Cigarettes which I though was funny but slight like most anthologies. Broken Flowers was also fun but again a bit too slight for me. Haven't seen Limits. But compare those to Stranger Than Paradise, Down By Law, Night on Earth, Only Lovers which I find brilliant. And to know Ghost Dog and Dead Man await me.
I think Jarmusch is like Linklater or Wes Anderson, but even lesser so, in that while his films are brilliant, they are too small and contemplative for the Oscars. He constantly upholds expectations with each new film. I mean who else can make a film about artistic, hipster vampires when the Vampire genre feels dead and make a brilliant film out of it?
But who knows maybe Paterson will be out there enough for the Academy, with Star Wars interest in Driver making more people watch this. Or it will go the OLLA route

[Black Hat]

Jarmusch pulls off a remarkable thing in Paterson. First it's a character study of an artist, then it's a portrayal of a regular Joe - a literal bus driver, then it's a depiction of a beaten down working class American town and the people who inhabit them. Lastly it's about an imperfect relationship — signifying what it means to have a partner you love and accept for their flaws. Understanding that love is commitment to understanding who your partner is, not who you wish they would be.

Golshifteh Farahani's Laura walks right up the line to being an incredibly irksome, annoying character without going over because you are able to see her good naturedness, how she means well and has obvious love for Paterson. Conversely, Paterson is driven to the bar more than once because of his girlfriend, but he realizes that he's nothing without her and needing one's space is healthy towards this realization. Romance in film is rarely shown this way. It's usually either all or nothing.

There's also the funniest dog performance a film since Asta from The Thin Man series.

The ending I could see people not buying into, but I thought was perfect.

SpoilerShow

Fans make pilgrimages to hometowns of people they admire all the time and to have that connection be made right when Paterson needs it most resonated with me - optimism as pure a component of creating as any.

Driver was a wonderful surprise - I didn't really know his work outside of a few small roles and "Star Wars," so this was a bit of revelation for me. I wouldn't call his character an introvert, but there are aspects of him that are very private and internal (all relating to his art and creative process), and he's able to express those parts in a lovely natural way, especially in his close ups.

Agreed. Star Wars is well Star Wars and my dislike for Midnight Special I made well known on the forum. Adam Driver's energy was perfect in this, a perfect balance to Farahani.

The film echoes some of Jarmusch's recent films in small but remarkable ways. Paterson's row of books remind me of Eve's in Only Lovers Left Alive (they do share at least one, Infinite Jest, probably many more).

Here's the only issue I had with the film, Jarmusch, for his fans needs to be a bit careful as there comes a point where his reaching back to great art from the past gets tiresome if not condescending. 2016 isn't that bad Jim, there's lots of great artists with followings who appreciate them.

[Roger Ryan]

...Also, besides the Iggy Pop reference, the use of the word "dirt" packs a similar punch in both Gimme Danger and this film. In that documentary, there's a card near the beginning that introduces the story, mentioning how the Stooges are now revered in rock history with long and verbose praise. Then it ends the card with "But in 1973, they were dirt." One simple word that is the totality of their miserable reputation at the time. In Paterson, the word pops up again in a similar way...

Certainly, the choice of the word "dirt" (in Gimme Danger at least) is a reference to the Stooges song.

I know HBO's Girls is not particularly respected around here, but Driver's work on that show has been amazing. I knew it wouldn't be long before he started getting lead roles and, frankly, I'll make the effort to watch anything he's in.

[hearthesilence]

Certainly, the choice of the word "dirt" (in Gimme Danger at least) is a reference to the Stooges song.

Of course, but the way it was used in both instances carries a weight that's more meaningful than a simple reference.

(And Fun House is one of the great rock albums that everyone should own.)

[Professor Wagstaff]

Trailer

[flyonthewall2983]

Having watched the trailer, I am irrationally annoyed that this is spelled with one t and not two. In my head I was pronouncing it Pait-erson.

[zedz]

Having watched the trailer, I am irrationally annoyed that this is spelled with one t and not two. In my head I was pronouncing it Pait-erson.

I'm afraid there's not much anybody can do about that.

And now I'm irrationally annoyed that the naming style of those five volumes kept changing!

[mfunk9786]

I fell asleep within 5 minutes of this film beginning.

Stay with me.

This is a very hypnotic piece of work. It wasn't out of frustration over it being slow, or some kind of dismissal - I truly felt like someone gave me a very warm and effective embrace and I just......drifted. The repetition here is a great device, and luckily I awoke around 20ish minutes later, in time to gleefully plug into Paterson without feeling like I'd missed anything at all. The movie, bless its heart, was still taking all the time it needed, just doing what it wanted to do, and just as warmly as I was initially invited in, I was invited to return. I don't feel qualified to make any declarative statements about the overall quality of this one because of my little snooze, but it doesn't change the fact that I loved what I saw and I can't wait to see it again. This is just about the kindest, gentlest film I can remember seeing (contemporary children's cinema included) and my hopes for it recapturing some of the charming diversity and sincere blue collar spirit of something like Be Kind Rewind were rewarded and then some. I don't even feel comfortable adding this to my top 10, but suffice it to say there'll be a very cozy spot waiting for it when I have a chance to revisit. You're going to want to see this, and you're going to want to see it again, whether you dozed or not.

SpoilerShow

And how magical is the inclusion, without any referential attention drawn to it, of a tiny Moonrise Kingdom redux?

[Black Hat]

Can you explain what you mean by this?

SpoilerShow

And how magical is the inclusion, without any referential attention drawn to it, of a tiny Moonrise Kingdom redux?

[mfunk9786]

The two kids headed to class on the bus at about the midway point of the movie are the two leads of that film - the ones that get off and have a brief exchange about getting a cup of coffee beforehand. I honestly forget what the subject matter of the exchange was. They're a bit older now, but unmistakable - they're even styled/made up similarly.

[hearthesilence]

I believe it was about being (half-jokingly) the last two anarchists in Paterson, NJ. Jarmusch has said that he was a fan of that film when it came out, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see him cast those two actors.

[mfunk9786]

Kara Hayward has a great little part in Manchester by the Sea too - something tells me we haven't seen the last of her in particular.