David Farnor | On 25, Jul 2013

Director: Lee Daniels
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, David Oyelowo
Certificate: 15

Sweat. That’s the first thing you notice about The Paperboy. The sweat. The frame is saturated in it. If perspiration were an internationally recognised currency, The Paperboy would be a water-logged Fort Knox.

Somewhere amid that sweat lies a plot. Or so we’re meant to believe. Years from now, historians will uncover this film and try to find out what it’s about – and they’ll get as far as alligators, jellyfish and some very uncouth bathroom habits.

It’s impossible to sum up The Paperboy in a sentence, because it’s hard to know what it is – at times, the film doesn’t even seem to know itself. When young journalist Jack (Zac Efron) and his older brotherm Ward (Matthew McConaughey), investigate an innocent man on death row, Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), they find themselves entangled with Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) and, erm, alligators and something something jellyfish something something something weeing in unusual places.

But while the plot, based on Peter Dexter’s novel, may sound ridiculous, that’s partly the point: Lee Daniel’s follow-up to the award-worthy Precious is as un-award-worthy as a film gets. It’s tacky, strange and completely bonkers. That also means its unpredictable, leading you up one garden path before turning it into a swamp surrounded by knifes and people with their tops off. It’s enjoyable to find a film so unexpected.

Efron and McConaughey carry the brunt of the script with sturdy performances, while Cusack enjoys chewing the scenery like his life depends on it. David Oyelowo gives good support as Ward’s flamboyantly sarcastic friend. But Nicole Kidman’s Charlotte walks away with the whole film. She swears at and provokes everyone around her with an entertaining Southern twang – ensnaring Jack immediately. It’s the kind of turn that recalls Mia Farrow in Broadway Danny Rose; a complete transformation topped off by killer hair.

Daniels shoots the whole thing with an eye for retro pulp. Combining the dross with dreamy visuals, the lowbrow/highbrow mismatch doesn’t always quite work, but the director pulls it off with admirable confidence. What’s going on? It doesn’t matter, because this feisty, humid thriller is way too much fun.

Add to Watchlist