By SETH HYNES
Paper Towns
Starring Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Halston Sage, Austin Abrams
Rated M for sexual references
The second film to be adapted from a John Green novel, Paper Towns isn’t as solid as last year’s The Fault In Our Stars, but it’s still an enjoyable effort.
Quentin (Nat Wolff), a straight-laced straight-A high school student, has had a crush on the more rebellious Margo (Cara Delevingne) since they were kids. But when Margo runs away one day, Quentin resolves to find her and tell her how he really feels.
The thing is – Margo isn’t worth it. She’s a pushy, vindictive hipster who only speaks in lofty platitudes. Delevingne’s performance is somewhat flat, and the film hits a low when she’s on-screen.
But that’s the point. Quentin is pursuing the myth of his cool, perfect soul-mate, and in this film, the journey is more important than the destination.
Paper Towns develops from an engaging mystery film into a charming road-trip movie. Wolff and his co-stars play off each other beautifully, and the humour is very natural. The film maintains a warm, earnest energy during the trip, and it’s uplifting to watch Quentin become more adventurous and have one last hurrah with his friends before college.
Paper Towns is a funny and touching little film that compels its younger viewers to seriously think about what (or who) they want in life.
If only the focal point (Margo) was a more interesting character.
