The Paperboy is a strange and unusual thriller with a first class cast. Director Lee Daniels has followed up his Oscar-nominated drama, Precious, with a film based on a novel by Pete Dexter that carries a similar intensity. As palpable as the tension is, The Paperboy also seems overly ambitious and experimental.

The thriller centers on the misadventures of the Jansen brothers, Jack (Zachary Efron) and Ward (Matthew McConnaughey). Ward returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate (Cusack). His brother Jack is hired as the driver as the bold investigative reporter and his colleague (Oyelowo) team up with the inmate’s evocative pen pal (Kidman) to drag the puzzle pieces together. The bizarre crime story is relayed by Anita, the help, in an unusual appearance by Macy Gray.

The casting of Macy Gray can sum up The Paperboy’s camp, awkward and experimental flavour. Daniels has drawn challenging performances from his talented cast and this fearless spirit is what keeps the film from imploding. The Paperboy’s sexually-charged energy is channeled into an unpredictable, dangerous and titillating tone, which eggs the audience to breaking point.

It’s unconventional, genre-shifting movie territory that disturbs and fascinates. The Paperboy drips with sweat, some from the humid bayou setting, some from its fervent sexuality and then some from fear. It’s an ambitious film that blends strange out-of-place props, ’60s fashion and home video fuzz to create something bizarre enough to embody elements from both the worlds of Wes Anderson and Rob Zombie.

Nicole Kidman is the catalyst for the film’s sexual nature, playing a sultry and misguided Barbie doll with a thing for jail birds. She looks every bit the part under a mask of make up and blonde hair and gives presence to the village muse. John Cusack’s portrayal of Hillary van Wetter is uncharacteristic, chilling and unrecognisable for an actor so in tune with likable protagonists. He gives weight to the perverse trailer trash convict to the point that you wish he’d play villains more often.

“Pink – it’s the colour of passion.”

Matthew McConnaughey has been in top form since The Lincoln Lawyer and he carries this forth into The Paperboy. He finds himself in a film every bit as trashy and perverse as Killer Joe. While his performance isn’t as commanding, you keep finding new respect for the actor, whose bold characters repeatedly take him out of his comfort zone.

Zac Efron’s very presence shows he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, but his obsessive character seems a little undefined and distant. David Oyelowo finds himself in a similar space, showing promise, but struggling to ground his character in the bipolar world of The Paperboy.

Lee Daniels has crafted a film that will draw mixed responses ranging from bemusement to disgust. The Paperboy’ is fascinating for its original, experimental and playful interpretation. It’s also exciting thanks to its unpredictable, sexually-charged and camp flair. The ensemble of Hollywood stars makes the experience alienating, attractive and intriguing as they carve a space for this unreality to thrive. However, all these pluses are and magnetic in their state of attraction and repulsion.

You watch The Paperboy with a lacklustre yet compelling curiosity. The true crime story at the heart of the drama is invigorated by a bizarre, eclectic and colorful skin that holds everything together with a naive, sensory and surreal imagination. It’s far from conventional, could be accused of being entertaining and is relentlessly fascinating.

The bottom line: Experimental

Release date: 20 September, 2013
Book Tickets at Ster-Kinekor
Book Tickets at Nu Metro
Catch more movie reviews at SPL!NG