When a security guard is killed outside Portland's notorious skate park, the titular "Paranoid Park", it's clear that 16 year old skateboarder Alex knows more than he's letting on.
Based on the novel by Blake Nelson, Gus Van Sant"s Paranoid Park is the quietly devastating tale of a teenage boy struggling to deal with terrible guilt. Alex (Gabe Nevins) is an introverted 16-year-old who uses his passion for skating as a means of avoiding thinking about the troubles in his life, his parent"s acrimonious separation and the bleating demands of his pushy girlfriend (Taylor Momsen). Seeking escape from his daily life, Alex visits Paranoid Park, the hangout of the serious Portland skaters. Even Paranoid Park ceases to be a refuge for Alex after he agrees to an illegal ride on a freight train with one of the older skaters. A security guard catches them on the train and, while trying to apprehend the pair, ends up fighting with Alex. The security guard is pushed and ends up in the path of an oncoming train. The older skater quickly runs off, leaving Alex alone with the body of the guard. Feeling unable to tell anyone what happened, not even his best friend Jared (Jake Miller) or his girlfriend, Alex bottles up his feeling of guilt until his mind is in danger of imploding. Elephant, Van Sant"s earlier film which also had the central theme of the destruction of youth, is an acknowledged masterpiece but Paranoid Park may be even better. The cinematography of Christopher Doyle is understated yet still breathtaking while many scenes (particularly the dialogue free break-up or Alex"s conversation with his out of focus father) manage to be beautiful and brutal all at once. Despite most of the main teenage cast being recruited through adverts on MySpace, the acting is marvellous. Gabe Nevins has taken a quite repressed and inexpressive approach to Alex"s character and his portrayal captures adolescent turmoil superbly. Gus Van Sant is a master of experimental film-making and Paranoid Park is framed as a confessional story that Alex is writing and so the action often skips about through time with some scenes repeating and overlapping. Paranoid Park is a haunting snapshot of teenage life today and the story will remain with the viewer long after the film finishes. Unmissable.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. From acclaimed director of My Own Private Idaho, Elephant and Last Days come Paranoid Park. When Alex, a 16-year-old skater, plucks up the courage to go to Paranoid Park - Portland's most challenging and infamous urban skateboard destination - he didn't expect his night to end with the death of a railway security guard. Deciding to say nothing about the incident, Alex does all he can to lead a normal life, but is troubled by a crushing burden of guilt which impacts on his relationship with one of his school's most sought after girls and his relationship with his parents. Soon, he finds he needs to tell somebody his secret, but with the police closing in his choice of confidant could mean the difference between being caught and being free. Actors Gabe Nevins, Daniel Liu, Taylor Momsen, Jake Miller, Lauren McKinney, Winfield Jackson, Joe Schweitzer, Grace Carter, Scott Patrick Green, John Michael Burrowes, Jay 'Smay' Williamson, Dillon Hines, Emma Nevins, Brad Peterson & Emily Galash Director Gus Van Sant Certificate 15 years and over Year 2008 Languages English - DTS Duration 1 Hour and 24 Minutes (approx)
Award-winning drama based on Blake Nelson's novel. The film follows 16-year-old skateboarder Alex (Gabe Nevins), who accidentally kills a security guard outside Paranoid Park, Portland's most infamous skateboarding park. When he decides to say nothing, he takes on a crushing burden of guilt with huge ramifications.
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