PARANOID PARK SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR ITSELFSure, Gus Van Sant has put before us groundbreaking work (My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy, ) and the new in theaters, with much acclaim, Milk with Sean Penn. However, this flick was one that needed to seep through the cracks. He creates a great landscape for our main character, awkward teen, Alex (Gabe Nevins) and his unknown slew of skater-non-actors in Portland. The movie is gray, as is much of the Pacific Northwest. It's much like watching surveillance video than a feature film. There is little dialogue and what is spoken sounds like acting. The pretext of a plot enfolds painfully slowly and when the "secret" is finally shown to the audience, it is a huge letdown. That's it? Milk is a vast improvement of Van Sant's ability and I haven't even seen it yet!
NOT a pick: Skip the film and stare outside at the rain and you will get the same effect.
