Paper Man - Time to Grow Up- DVD

Movie: Richard (Jeff Daniels), an unsuccessful writer, still dreams of writing the really big bestseller. His wife (Lisa Kudrow) is very happy to mother Richard, but still agrees to let her hubby retreat to a house on Long Island alone to write. But Richard is not completely alone. Since his childhood, he has been accompanied by his imaginary friend, the superhero Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds), who is always there to help Richard, who has remained a child inside, in difficult situations. When he meets 17-year-old Abby (Emma Stone), who is suffering from the consequences of a tragic accident, Richard's life changes drastically. His slowly budding friendship with the girl shows him that it's time to finally grow up and say goodbye to his imaginary companion. But as easy as this step may sound in theory, it is difficult to put into practice.

The role of the eccentric artist/writer truly seems to fit Jeff Daniels to a tee. Daniels already played similar characters more than convincingly in The Squid and the Whale, as well as in the insider tip The Answer Man. But routine or even boredom is really not noticeable in the actor's performance. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Daniels once again delights with an endearingly quirky performance. He is supported by a wonderfully self-deprecating, but at the right moment also very emotional acting Ryan Reynolds and the confident and very strong playing Emma Stone (Just to have). And also Lisa Kudrow (Friends), who has to embody a rather thankless character, delivers a first-class performance. Watching this ensemble is just fun, both in the humorous moments and in the quieter, dramatic ones.

The script by directing duo Michele and Kieran Mulroney, who fought for many years to get their film made, is full of charm, very nice ideas and clever dialogue. One scene in particular, which shall not be given away here as it reveals an important secret of Abby's, could have easily come off as unintentionally funny or overly sappy. However, spot-on direction and fine acting by Ryan Reynolds and supporting actor Kieran Clukin make this moment one of the film's emotional high points.

Paper Man is a small film, yet somehow quite big. While the quiet staging and rather quirky humor ensure that this tragicomedy isn't really for the masses, lovers of sophisticated independent comedies from America will get their money's worth here. It's a shame that films like this don't make it to the cinema anymore and can only be enjoyed on screen, while the cinemas are flooded with countless German TV productions and documentaries, as good as some of them may be. Absolutely recommended!

Picture + Sound: The picture stands out for being clean and pleasantly sharp at most moments. Color mixing and contrasts are also spot on, capturing the atmosphere of the story well. The audio is rather decent, with the German soundtracks being mixed a bit stronger than the English. The dts mix in particular proves to be noticeably more powerful than the Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Unspectacular, but good!

Extras: The 12-minute Making of is very short, has a slight advertising character and unfortunately does not have German subtitles, but the mini-documentary takes a not uninteresting look behind the scenes, also dealing with the difficult production, which dragged on for years. In addition to the making of, there's the trailer in German and English, biographies, and other programming tips from the provider.

Termination: Paper Man is the finest American independent cinema. A beautiful story, some quirky humor, moving drama, great actors - all make this tragicomedy a real steal. The DVD is technically well realized, but has only somewhat meager extras to offer. Nevertheless: a more than worth seeing home cinema premiere, which is absolutely recommendable despite minor lengths

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp