Paranoid Park (4 Stars)

Alex is a 16-year-old boy from Portland, Oregon. He's popular at school. He's dating the most beautiful cheerleader on the squad, 14-year-old Jennifer. But he's going through an existential crisis. The world seems so empty to him, so pointless, and he's sure there must be more to life. This is a common state of mind if you're a teenage boy or French. Not even Jennifer's wish that they should lose their virginity together offers him any excitement. The only thing that gives him any pleasure is skateboarding. I suppose that could be considered a nihilistic hobby.

After visiting a skate park called Paranoid Park he meets some other skateboarders who talk him into taking a free ride on a freight train. He accidentally kills a security guard by pushing him off  the train. He can't confide in anyone, and the secret oppresses him in his already gloomy life.

The film was a box office flop and it's easy to see why. It's so slow, and so little happens that the film could have been compressed into a 30 minute short film. More than anything the film is a showcase for the dreamy visuals of master cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who is better known for his work in Chinese films. I don't know if he's the world's best cinematographer, but he's the only cinematographer I can name, which says a lot. I can see that this film is too "arty" to appeal to a wider audience, but it was appreciated by film critics and won a won a string of awards. If you want to take a chance on something different, try this.

Click here to view the trailer.