[Review] Paterson: A Simple Story, But You're In It

Paterson is a very poetic film, and also a very difficult film to watch. Difficult not because it's poorly made, but because Hong Kong audiences might not be able to accept it.

The film's story is very simple: it chronicles one week in the life of Paterson (played by Adam Driver), a bus driver in a small town. Normally, when we watch movies, we expect something to happen to the protagonist, to bring a change to an otherwise ordinary story. Watching Paterson, we wait and wait, yet it seems nothing particularly special happens. The film also doesn't seem to have a clear climax or significant transformation. Therefore, general audiences watching this film might be greatly puzzled: what exactly is this film trying to say? And that is precisely what makes Paterson special.

I have always believed that a film's rhythm, cinematography, and editing style should complement the screenplay, allowing the director to tell the story they want to tell. Paterson is very understated, with almost no fluctuations, perfectly matching the story and life of Paterson in the script. Paterson's life itself is very plain; his daily routine is almost exactly the same: wake up, eat breakfast, write poetry, drive the bus, dinner, walk the dog, go to the bar for a drink. The film almost completely presents a week of Paterson's life, repeating each of these steps. Although the chosen shots and editing bring slight variations, the director's intention is very clear: Paterson's life is very ordinary, with little change. And amidst these repeated daily segments, Paterson's life isn't entirely unchanging: what he sees and hears on the bus every day, and his wife Laura's (played by Golshifteh Farahani) "interests," are different each day. And these two points are the key focus of this film.

Paterson himself loves to write poetry, and like the famous poet William Carlos Williams, he resides in the small town of Paterson. Since both come from the same small town, grew up in similar environments, and both love to write poetry, can Paterson become a famous poet? I'm not familiar with poetry and don't know if Paterson's poems are good. But I strongly agree with a line of dialogue in the film: a bus driver writing poetry truly is a very poetic thing. As a bus driver, Paterson carries different passengers every day, and what passengers say and do on the bus is also different. Paterson sits in the driver's seat every day, observing the behaviors and conversations of passengers, and each moment is fleeting, never to reappear. Therefore, even if the passengers on the bus are the same, what happened in the past will not be the same. This is probably what Paterson's poem refers to as the fourth dimension: "time." This film is like a poem itself, reminding us how poetic life is through the character of Paterson and the film's structure.

Beyond Paterson's poetry and work, the concept of "time" is also presented in Paterson and Laura's life. As I mentioned earlier, Paterson's life is very plain, with almost no daily changes, which could be seen as a very monotonous life. His wife Laura, although confined at home every day, tries new things and develops new interests daily, holding many fantasies about her future life. In contrast, Paterson resists significant changes and seems to have no aspirations for the future, quite the opposite of Laura. Their daily interactions are primarily limited to conversations at dinner; they don't often go out and play together. I believe Hong Kong audiences, seeing their relationship, might wonder how they've maintained it for so long. However, from what's shown in the film, both seem very content with their relationship: Paterson expresses his love for Laura in his poems every day and strives to fulfill Laura's requests; and Laura constantly tries to share her happiness with Paterson and is very attentive to Paterson's feelings, always encouraging him. Although the film only depicts one week, audiences can imagine that their lives have likely been this way for many years. This film portrays their relationship in a very understated way, without the passion and romantic drama found in other love films. However, watching Adam Driver's subtle changes in the film, and his poetry, as well as Golshifteh Farahani's enraptured expression when listening to Adam Driver read his poems, it's hard not to feel the quiet yet profound affection between the two characters. Of course, one must mention the performance of the dog, Nellie, who is truly adorable and adds a touch of humor to the film's gentle pace. No wonder he won the Palm Dog Award at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

In the film's ending, Paterson's notebook, which he uses for writing poetry, is chewed into pieces by his dog. Paterson becomes very despondent, seemingly losing the moments of the past few months, as if he has lost the meaning of life. But then he receives a new notebook as a gift from someone else, reminding him that starting to write poetry again from a blank page is not a bad thing. Paterson's life seems destined to continue repeating, remaining plain, and he has also lost his previous poems. But as long as Laura is there, he will have more motivation and inspiration to write, and he will not feel bored. This ending also reminds me of a lyric: "The story is plain, but you are in it, and that's enough." This film, though plain, holds a poetic quality and emotion that are deeply worth savoring.