‘Paper Towns’ Review: Cara Delevingne Steals The Show
No Paper Towns review could start without an appreciative nod of approval by fans of John Green’s teenage dramas.
Be Crazy. Be Free. Be Happy. Be Fun. Be True. Be Loud. Be Real.https://t.co/05CPHKImqo
— Paper Towns (@PaperTownsMovie) July 18, 2015
Paper Towns, which is set for release on Friday, July 24, 2015, is the second book by American adult author John Green to be made into a film. Green wrote Paper Towns in 2008, five years before the lauded The Fault In Our Stars made it to the bookshelf of every high school-going young American. So, how does Paper Towns compare with other adolescent dramas?
Well, first of all, it is a little different from The Fault In Our Stars, in that it purposefully circumvents the tragic overtones of the latter. Paper Towns is a much more cheerful movie, with an added dash of well-constructed mystery thrown into the plot. It is a story of Florida high school student Quentin Jacobson (Nat Wolff), who has been in awe of (and in love with) his dashing neighbor and fellow schoolmate, Margo Roth Speigelman (Cara Delevingne), from an early age.
What begins as a typical one-sided love romance (similar to Rob Reiner’s teenage comedy, Flipped) soon turns into an adventure film of sorts, when Margo surreptitiously enters Quentin’s room one night asking for help. The next day, she promptly disappears, with our hero convinced that she has left him the clues which could help him find her. What follows is a state-spanning road trip, where Quentin’s adorable friends Ben (Austin Abrams) and Radar (Justice Smith) join him to make for some pretty humorous scenes.
Director Jake Schreier (Robot and Frank) and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber manage to stay true to the book once again, effectively splicing the conventional plot with indie quirks and low-key exploration of the social and sexual pressures of teenage life. But what stands out most about Paper Towns is its performances, with model-turned-actor Cara Delevingne the highlight of this film.
This Paper Towns review would be incomplete without mentioning what an absolute delight she is throughout the movie, and at times when she is not present, the film loses its charm a little bit. The New Zealand Herald reported on Cara’s performance in its own Paper Towns review.
“Paper Towns heralds a breakthrough performance from fashion model Cara Delevingne, in her first leading role. With just the right amount of worldliness and mystery, Delevingne is perfect as the charismatic Margo. There’s definitely more to this model-turned-actress than her eyebrows.”
Stunning babe ? #PaperTowns premier 18.07.15 pic.twitter.com/CrbdpZiNiN
— Cara’s Squad (@CaraDSquad) July 19, 2015
Stuff also had good things to say in its Paper Towns review, despite its length and a slight dependence on clichés.
“Perhaps it will all feel a bit too contrived and neatly packaged for some, but we’ll take a sincere, feel-good teen drama over a raunchy, gross-out teen comedy any day.”
In this Paper Towns review, we will only add: Paper Towns is a delightful watch any day of the week, and with a snazzy Cara leading the show, you will not want to miss this ride!
[Photo: Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images]
