Rating of
3/4
Teen Fantasy Speaks Inner Volumes
Unknown - wrote on 07/27/15
'Paper Towns' is one of the more easily enjoyable films I've seen this year. I had mixed expectations, based on the premise. I wrote it off as some 'teen romance fantasy'. But it turned out to be much more than that. There's not much romance to speak of. The 'mystery' girl is kept a mystery through most of it. She's a catalyst for Quentin's inner desires. She sparks that youthful ambitiousness that had laid dormant in him. Because of this, it's easy to see why he pines for her. He utilizes that ambition to chase after her and we get a mini-roadtrip with his high school chums in the process. These teens are very likable and have great comroadarie. A couple of female tagalongs are given the same treatment. They are a fun unit. However, the focus never leaves Quentin's personal journey. His experiences definitely brought back those feelings not felt since high school age. The story does travel some teen fantasy ground, but it finds a strong foothold on realistic outcomes in the latter half. The ending could not be more perfect. It made me smile from enjoyment mixed with some bittersweetness. I appreciated that a great deal. A memorable teen movie.
