The Other Side of Paradise
Review - Matt Mungle
When I first saw The Other Side of Paradise I truly enjoyed it. But I had a hunch that this film was even better than my initial reaction. Sort of like a great album. One that on first listen you like but find that the more you listen and the more you catch the rhythm and the movement it becomes one of your most soul stirring records. After seeing this film again my theory was confirmed. I adore it. Sort of like life and the main character, Rose; it is far from a perfect film but that does not make it less beautiful.
Rose (Arianne Martin) is on a journey that starts out simple enough but soon turns into something far more complex than she anticipated. Along with her lifelong friend Alex (John Elliott) and recently paroled younger brother Jaime (Frank Mosley) in tow it was to be a drive from Dallas to Austin for a showcase of Rose's photography. As with any road trip there is time to talk, reflect and take a detour if needed. What these three discover is laughter, zany characters, pain coupled with emotional highs and lows that change all of their lives to some degree.
Justin D. Hilliard directed this script in which he, Martin and Ryan Hartsell penned. I am not sure if it is the writing or Arianne's interpretation of Rose or maybe a combination of both but her character's journey is quite moving and emotional to watch. Even for a film filled with comedy and humor. This is a journey of exploration and self discovery for Rose. She is on her own when we first see her. And it is an entirely different Rose that we find at the end. She does something amazing, and that is to find hope and beauty and new life in the midst of confusion, chaos and destruction. Her world isn't perfect but she defines perfection in it. Kudos to you Mrs. Martin. You touched our hearts.
Also, like my favorite album there are moments in this movie that I want to rewind and watch again and again and some scenes that are a bit out of place and distracting that I want to skip over to get to my favorites. Certain scenes are incredibly edited and put together. The timing and music and direction create a rhythm that draws you in. The film contains this frail rope that Rose has tried to keep her emotions tied up in but we see it quickly unravel. There is a sense of dread and I wanted her to find something to hold on to. Something she could anchor herself to until she finds the purpose in it all. Hilliard does a decent job of keeping that focus and allowing the story to move at its own pace without becoming too laborious; giving us time to engage with the characters and their emotions.
As deep and emotional as this film tends to be there is tons if humor. I loved all of the off the wall characters that pop up randomly in this film. It was that sort of unexpectedness that made the comedy work in the mix. Many times I see a film the first time and I laugh really hard and I go see it again and I want that same response but I find that knowing what is coming makes the humor fall flat and it is very disappointing. The fact that I laughed as hard if not harder the second time I saw this, even knowing the lines that were coming, solidified the depth of the humor. It is not shock or content driven but character driven which I think adds longevity to the laugh.
Unfortunately as well as the humor worked in most places there were moments when it was a hindrance. There are times I am emotionally gripped by what is about to happen when a joke or line is delivered that threw me off. By the time I got back in the moment it was over and I felt cheated a little. As if I couldn't be trusted with the full on blunt force trauma that the characters were about to feel. This made the impact of these scenes less than what it could have been. And should have been.
Over all I give "The Other Side of Paradise" a
very solid 4 out of 5 mile markers. Sure it isn't
perfect, but as a whole, I enjoyed it. The bad
moments are rare and do not subtract for the greatness
of the package. Plus anyone who has ever driven
that stretch of I-35 from Dallas to Austin will
love the historical and landmark references used
to give this film wonderful Texas heart and soul.
This is a truly well written script. Funny, witty
and emotional is a nice trifecta. As with real
life we truly never know what lies around each
turn but with the right attitude and surround
by those we love and trust we can certainly survive
it. |
