There are few American filmmakers who can mine so much out of the purity of simple routine and small-scale drama than Jim Jarmusch. A keen observer of behavior, the writer/director concretes complex character portraits with few ingredients, and he does it again to winning effect in the upcoming “Paterson.”
For those who only know Adam Driver from his more emotional or explosive turns as Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” or Adam from “Girls,” they’ll be surprised to see him in a different register here, playing a poetry-writing New Jersey bus driver. Here’s the official synopsis from the Cannes Film Festival where the film debuted earlier this year:
Paterson is a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey — they share the name.
Every day, Paterson adheres to a simple routine: he drives his daily route, observing the city as it drifts across his windshield and overhearing fragments of conversation swirling around him; he writes poetry into a notebook; he walks his dog; he stops in a bar and drinks exactly one beer; he goes home to his wife, Laura. By contrast, Laura’s world is ever changing. New dreams come to her almost daily.
Paterson loves Laura and she loves him. He supports her newfound ambitions; she champions his gift for poetry.
The film quietly observes the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
“Paterson” opens on December 28th.
Best Actor
1 Denzel Fences
2 Driver Paterson
3 Hanks Sully
4
5 Parker Birth Of A Nation
Best Supp Actor
1
2 Driver Midnight Special
3
4
5