Two things about any movie that will undoubtedly draw me in: Mark Duplass' bleak humor and Ray Romano's teddy bear of a voice. Paddleton is an excellent example of an independent buddy comedy that does not necessarily try to be anything too special - and doesn't really need to, either. This film is a strangely humorous but heartwarming look at two close friends and the unfortunately fatal circumstances that they must try to cope with. I love how quiet yet loudly emotional this film was and the often depressing narrative that came with it. Audiences may have seen this kind of film countless times before, but my tastes will always be much more geared towards touching stories like these regardless.
Paddleton follows the close lives of best friends and neighbors Michael (Mark Duplass) and Andy (Ray Romano) as the former attempts to cope with the news that he has an incurable form of cancer. Michael decides that he wants to end his life on his own terms with a fatal prescription and takes a road trip with Andy to get it from a private pharmacy, while also finding out along the way what made his life and friendship so special. The writing surrounding how these two interacted and what they experienced together is the most touching aspect of the entire story. Michael and Andy are introduced in the exposition without any kind of dialogue or background as to why they were such close friends or why they were living by themselves in their apartments, but none of that information is really needed. Through a lot of this film's nonverbal communication and visual storytelling, it is obvious that they care for each other more than anything else and that is all this narrative's friendship really needs. The dialogue shared between the two is some of the driest but most realistic I have ever seen in a "comedy of dramatic proportions" such as this one. Watching these two interact really made me feel like I have known these characters and all of their life struggles. This is definitely due to Duplass and Romano's fantastic performances and how much chemistry they have together on screen. I have not personally seen any of Romano's more dramatic roles before, but I thought he was excellent throughout this movie.
Independent films of this genre typically have a formula that works for them and this movie was not really an exception. A small cast of characters, a personal but slightly vague story, and a touching ending usually seem to be the set rules, and this movie followed just that. Even though that might seem dull or generic, I always tend to focus on and enjoy the little, creative details that make each film stand out, and in this case, it was the titular, tennis-like game that Michael and Andy invented and played against each other. Small, peculiar offshoots of the plot such as this game always make independent stories that much more interesting and strangely relatable to me. These little eccentricities are what help me get more engaged in whatever the story is trying to tell and they also make the endings that much more devastating. I believe that the moral premise of this film is really just to find yourself and enjoy what life has blessed you with, as there are some unfair things in this world that you can't really control. This message was spread out through the whole movie, and even though the conclusion is tame and predictable, doesn't take away from how emotionally impacting it is. Nathan M. Miller's cinematography and Christopher Donlon's editing are fairly generic, but since Duplass and Lehmann's writing is the greatest part, it does not distract from the almost mute ups and downs that these two friends share on their bleak road trip.
Paddleton is a heartbreaking but inspirational look at mortality and how close friends are able to cope with it. Even though this kind of narrative is not new at all, it is so refreshing to see two big names like Duplass and Romano do something smaller and more personal such as this film. I absolutely love this movie and would definitely recommend it, as long as you're willing to have your heart broken down but simultaneously built back up.
My Rating: ★★★★
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