Movie #20- "The Paperboy" (2012)

Wow, this movie is a hot mess.  As I've stated before, I like the smaller, character driven films.  But this one just didn't work for me.  The basic plot is simple enough; woman writes prisoner, falls in love, gets newspaper writer to prove the man is innocent (there are other subplots that flesh out the story).  It's an opportunity for actors to go against type, especially John Cusack as the convicted murderer who lives in the swamps of Florida.
But it tries too hard to be arty and edgy.  Plenty of shots with handheld camera, drenched in sunlight and draining the color.  This is a very sexual movie, but in this case, it's more violent than erotic.  Some of those scenes are aspects of the characters, while others just seem to be added for pure shock value.  I think there's a good movie somewhere in here, screaming to get out.


Rating: 4/10
Movies I've previously seen: 2
First time viewings: 18