The problem with movies like Netflix’s Paddleton is that the driving force is a tragedy established at the very beginning of the movie, and that’s about all there is that’s really interesting about the characters. While it’s very possible to focus an entire movie around something awful that happens to the lead character (2013’s Prisoners is probably one of the best examples of this), there needs to be much more depth to the characters in order to make it engaging. Unfortunately, in Paddleton, we’re given characters who got the short end of the stick and have really nothing else going for them, and we now have to sit through 90 minutes with an obligation to feel sorry for them.
The film focuses on Michael (Mark Duplass), a middle-aged man who receives a terminal cancer diagnosis in the opening scene. He plans on taking a trip to get a medication that will end his life, much to the chagrin of his neighbor Andy (Ray Romano). Michael and Andy are each other’s best and only friends, with their sessions of watching kung-fu movies and playing a sport they made up named Paddleton being their only escape from their menial jobs. Respecting Michael’s wishes, Andy accompanies him on a six-hour road trip to the nearest pharmacy that will fill the prescription, where they discuss life and get caught up in a series of random adventures as Michael prepares to end his life.
The driving force behind this entire movie is Michael’s cancer diagnosis, and honestly, that’s the most interesting thing about him. And the fact that Michael is Andy’s best friend is the most interesting thing about Andy. That’s all there really is to these two characters. This is essentially one giant guilt trip, especially as we learn a little more about the two. They both have no other friends and hate their jobs, and now with this cancer diagnosis on top of all that, the audience has almost no other choice to feel bad for them.
Sure, there are other attempts to give them some other interesting characteristics, but they honestly feel like half-hearted attempts at character development. The halftime speech that Andy works on at the beginning of the movie is delivered at the halfway point and is mentioned once more at the end, but it barely services the plot otherwise. There’s brief scene later on in the movie where Michael mentions he was once married, and ties it into his friendship with Andy, but it almost wasn’t needed. We already got the message loud and clear that these two only have each other, and we don’t need further bits of dialogue that simply reiterate what we already know.
The film does attempt to balance out some of the tragedy with humor, and these are some of the stronger scenes in the film. The opening scene where Andy needs continuous clarification on the cancer diagnosis is by far the movie’s best moment, as are a couple of other quirky exchanges sprinkled throughout the movie. The issue is these moments sometimes feel far and few in between, and not all the attempts at humor work either. There’s a sequence when they check into the hotel and get mistaken for a gay couple that feels like such a cliched, sitcom-like misunderstanding that it’s borderline stomach-churning.
It’s a shame because both Mark Duplass and Ray Romano are both solid actors and can be genuinely very funny. Unfortunately, Duplass - who co-wrote the film - isn’t as charming of a writer as he is an actor, as his dialogue-driven style of deriving humor from awkward moments translates in this movie to being just awkward rather than “awkwardly funny.” As far as their acting here goes, they both do a solid job with the material they’re given (or in Duplass’ case, the material he gave himself), and they especially have a really great moment together towards the end of the movie, but it’s still not strong enough to salvage this film.
Paddleton is a plodding, manipulative 90 minutes that wastes the talents of Duplass and Romano. Its quirkiness tends to lean more embarrassing than actually funny, while its characters are for the most part shallowly-written, being constantly kicked while they’re down, and rarely getting moments to shine. With a much better catalogue of films to choose from on Netflix, this one can be easily skipped.
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