Almost - though for me not quite - on par with Van Sant's two masterpieces, "Elephant" and the much overlooked "Mala Noche". Full of beautiful pictures: Strange compositions (often placing the fixed camera in weird spots), impressive tracking shots. Indeed very pretentious - but also very rewarding. Epitomizes the "love it or hate it" film.

72.750

The acting can get rough at parts, but Paranoid Park is an incredible film. Not many films have a more enthralling cinematography than this. Van Sant presents melancholy footage of beautiful Portland, OR, set to Elliot Smith, and it works so wonderfully well. This is an essential film for those who appreciate cinematography.

I would watch skateboard videos all day if they were shot by Christopher Doyle.

It resembles a Pasolini film in many respects. But too melodramatic for me. The death sinks the film like a pair of cement galoshes.

Pretty darn great, hypnotic de-construction of a person's own world.

A whole lot of nothing if you ask me. The acting was also terribly unconvincing.

good, a bit long though, and too much of it just doesn't work at all (napoleon dynamite???)

This reminded me a lot of All About Lily Chou-Chou. Languid story about youth culture with a tragic turn of events, with distinctive use of music and camera technique. It's a tough film to classify, more of a mood piece. I was a little perplexed at what Van Sant was aiming for but it resonates and does a pretty good job of sucking you in. There are a few character moments that don't quite ring true, but this may be more a function of the non-professional cast than any fault of the screenplay.

Visually kick ass shots, I like the way the camera plays around. Storyline was shattered and recovered, acting by the main charactor was good, the others not so much. Over all a nice film.

The best of Van Sant's indie films so far. Much better than Elephant and despite some minor flaws it is great.

well done movie - awesome creation of soundtracks

Gus Van Sant captures my generation unerringly. A truly great film.

Van Sant continues in the dreamy sort of Bela-Tarr-like direction he's been taking with his recent movies, sparse plot, stretched-out sequences of slo-mo skateboarding, a lot of cinematic pizzazz, very impressionistic... it's interesting. Works better this time than in Last Days. He really has an eye for teenage subcultures and the subject matter here seems a bit more substantial somehow, although there's still no real drama, confrontation, climax...

Van Sant does a great job of portraying the emotional and moral disconnect of today's youth.