Wang’s ‘90s double bill of
Smoke and Blue in the Face paid
tribute to Brooklyn (the latter
featuring a cameo by Jarmusch),
Paterson celebrates a town in arguably the most derided state in
the US. The scenes on Paterson’s
bus are reminiscent of Jafar Panahi’s Taxi Tehran; through the
interactions of various passengers, we learn the quietly proud
history of a town that looks like a
thousand others. At the local tavern, the landlord (Barry Shabaka
Henley) displays portraits of local heroes behind his bar and is
a mine of local lore. It’s a masterclass in how to celebrate a heritage without sinking to jingoism.
There’s a park in Paterson, New
Jersey devoted to one former
native, comedian Lou Costello. It
may seem like a laughable idea,
but I bet the residents of Paterson are proud of it. They should
be proud of Paterson the movie
too. w
Paterson
4 ½ stars out of 5
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Adam Driver, Chasten Harmon,
Golshifteh Farahani,
William Jackson Harper
NJ STAGE 2016 - ISSUE 12
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