User reviews

A fragment of life. No past or future, just a fragment. Almost like a documentary. Predictable? Yes, but it still made me cry. The movie is not about what happens in the end , it is about a journey and that person who walks that last path with you with you. "Why did we have to buy this? Any 100 pills would give you the same result".

Paddleton is a simple movie. The story is contained, the cinematography plain, and the premise unoriginal. This is all clearly by design. The two main characters, played by Mark Duplass and Ray Romano, are weird, awkward people and they are always presented as they are, ordinary. They live in small apartments one on top of the other. They are single and work simple jobs. They have terrible diets and watch terrible movies. And one of them happens to be very ill.

While it may seem like a criticism for me to call this movie plain and unoriginal, it really is not. Paddleton is not a canvas for some artsy filmmaker to paint with. It is not excessively dramatized or colorful or whimsical. It is what it is, an honest character study of two people. Often the silver screen is reserved for the interesting and the bold, the odd and sometimes depraved, people that seem to merit attention. These two characters are not like that. They are tiny, seemingly insignificant, and each actor melts into their respective personalities. The relationship between the two feels honest and they come across as true friends on the screen. Not to take anything away from Mark Duplass, but Ray Romano really steals most of the scenes they have together. He plays an aging, banal, and single man scarily well.

There are some things I did not like, the music was a bit twee and contained mostly ethereal melodies and simple keys that did not always fit the tone of the accompanying scene. Some of the dialogue felt stilted. But really everything besides the two performances is just window dressing. This is a film about their relationship and the circumstance they must face together. The low budget feel works to focus the viewers attention on these two people, it makes it feel real. We all have to face death in our lives, but we have each other to depend on.

Friendship is such a precious commodity that we often take for granted. It's the little things, like seeing each other on a commute to work, that become noticeable once gone. Paddleton pays homage to the beauty of ordinary life, and reminds us that this finite bit of time we have been given will eventually come to an end. It does not try to prescribe meaning it cannot possible know, it does not romanticize the process, it just is what it is, and in that way it becomes a worthwhile experience.

Probably one of the best depictions of male friendship on film, albeit a brutal assault on the emotions. But really, what do you expect from a cancer flick?

'Paddleton' felt incredibly realistic and authentic, perhaps in part to no dialogue being in the script. It really helped Duplass and Romano share an excellent onscreen chemistry - the latter who delivers what I consider the best performance of his career.

It made me laugh and its ability to find humour in the darkest of human experiences is something special. The film meanders along at its own pace, with occasional simple moments feeling devastatingly powerful at times - an untouched piece of pizza, a wristwatch alarm clock.

Despite all the great things about 'Paddleton', I just felt super depressed afterwards and that it perhaps didn't quite hit the mark for being something truly amazing.

"Fly to.. where guys don't hover, because that's where I live"

A short, simple, bittersweet, emotional watch. Though this film has not much in the way of visuals or anything of note on a technical level, the film is bolstered up by two great lead performances (especially from Ray Romano) as two very vivid characters with oddly specific, yet relatable traits.

I did not know what to think about about this moving when I first saw it on Netflix. It had Ray Romano so I thought it might be good and clicked on it. Wow, not a funny, chipper afternoon watch but I was hooked by the way it was filmed and how it flowed.

It did not over power the dialog with emotional music or scenery, it let you get there on your own and when the ending happened, you felt it. Both the sadness and the hope.

Both these actors have been phenomenal in comedy, especially Mark, who I have now watched in multiple roles, so to see them in such a brave act of spectrum revealing performance is ironically refreshing, considering the tone of the movie. Watch this movie for powerful performances by both these brilliant actors and a story that makes you think about some serious issues related to your own loved ones.

This film tells the story of two neighbours going on a road trip to get medication for assisted suicide.

Right from the first second the film begins, it is already right to the point. There is no messing about at all. The story is an emotional one, and it is well told. It is believable, engaging, and also leaves room for people to extrapolate as well. It takes viewers through an emotional journey.

I didn't really know what to expect when I started the movie. Seeing that both the main characters were more of comedy people than anything. But this movie was absolutely astounding.

It pretty much depicted what a best friendship between 2 guys is better than any movie I have ever seen.

And the last 5 minutes was hard to watch knowing that things are different.

Acting was amazing.

give it a go.

7.9

I had the privilege of watching the world premiere at Sundance. It's a poignant story of friendship between two men who have chosen to live a simple, uncomplicated life. At first I felt sad for these characters, who seemed to be just existing. But as the story moved along, what at first seemed mundane became a sense of comfortable routine. When faced with a terminal diagnosis for Michael, the pair embarks on a stoic journey through his final chapter. Along the way they reveal parts of themselves that were previously muted. Watching them maneuver the stages of grief, while knowing what the final outcome will be is heart wrenching. By the final scenes I was openly sobbing. The performances by Mark Duplass and Ray Romano pulled out a whole gamut of emotions. I found myself at various times laughing out loud, occasionally slightly uncomfortable, unendingly empathetic, and often sad. This is why I love movies, especially ones as beautifully made as this.

The climactic scene in Paddleton would have to rank as one of the most incredible pieces of cinema I can remember. Ray Romano and Mark Duplass produce a moment that is virtually unmatched in its authenticity and honesty. I can barely believe what I just watched, it's a scene that will stay with me for a long time.

Prior to this, Paddleton moves along slowly and tentatively which is clearly by design. The improv style is a difficult beast to tame but Romano and Duplass do it with panache and no lack of humour. It's a definite change of pace to your average modern movie but it is well worth sticking it out.

A real sleeper of a film that brings the topics of life, death and friendship into startling focus.

It was not easy to watch. It seemed so real. Romano was peak of his acting.

Neighbors Michael (Mark Duplass) and Andy (Ray Romano) are the best of friends. They watch HK Kung Fu movies and play a made-up game called Paddleton. Michael gets the bad news of terminal cancer. The two friends go on a drive to buy prescription drugs for Michael's euthanasia.

Ray Romano makes this coupling work. Mark Duplass has made a career out of the mumblecore indie. This was shown in Sundance and got released on Netflix. This is mostly dependent on the two leads' chemistry. Duplass is his usual self. It's Romano who is the star. He has the stuttering delivery, sharp comedy, and the quick mind. There are several instances of great comedy and tender relations. The duo really works in its simple form. It's not much of a story but the pairing is really good.

When it works it really works a few genuine laugh out loud moments and a few perfectly sombre moments also. Overall though if I'm honest it did struggle to keep my attention and I did find the second half to drag a little despite two strong performances from the leads I just felt it needed a little more to actually be anything more than above average.

Whether they're original concepts, sequels to famous movies, or just simply of a forgotten classic, there's more content being made today than in any decade in history. Personally, I see this as both a negative and positive. Many viewers seem to think that originality is dead, due to the vast number of sequels and remakes in theatres, but everyone seems to give their money to those, so the original content either ends up buried at the Box Office or dropped on a streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or HULU. Paddleton is one of the most recent films to have that exact thing happen, but in this particular instance, I feel Netflix is the perfect place for it, even though I loved it. Paddleton is a great film and here's why I believe it deserves some recognition.

Following two best friends in Michael (Mark Duplass) and Andy (Ray Romano) as they come to terms with the fact that Michael has been diagnosed with cancer, the two of them agree to take a road trip to retrieve the medication, that will in turn speed up the process of Michael's life coming to an end. The premise of this story is very tragic, but the chemistry between these two actors make it a very enjoyable movie at times. I'm a sucker for independent cinema that follows certain character tropes if they're done well and Paddleton is a perfect showcase of them. While this may not be the easiest film to sit through in terms of the story itself, it really is the characters that will get viewers through it.

As I said, I'm a sucker for the tropes that many independent films go for and in that regard, there are a few predictable aspects to the movie as a whole; However, this is a movie that's filled with heart, friendship, comedy, and a sense of joy that a man is able to find in his final days. Mark Duplass hasn't always written home runs, but I believe he has here, along with writer/director Alex Lehmann. Their work in putting this film together, along with Duplass' stellar lead performance, was well worth my time in itself. I've always been a fan of Mark Duplass and I will continue to be until the day he retires.

I wouldn't recommend watching this film for its score or visual style, because it's very simplistic in those departments. From a very limited score in general to gorilla-style filmmaking, this movie feels raw, which is probably why I liked it so much. There's something about low-budget production that feels more authentic than most movies. The way the camera follows certain characters around, makes you feel like a fly on the wall in the movie.

In the end, Paddleton is one of the best movies I've seen so far in 2019, but the year is very young. The subject matter is definitely not for everyone, especially if you're in for an uplifting story, but I still highly recommend this movie to those who are up for great characters on an enjoyable journey. Aside from a few predictable story beats, I loved this movie from start to finish. Simple and to the point, this movie hardly makes a misstep.

A movie with a great sense of humor who made me laugh a lot. A very minimalistic approach to a movie we've already seen a lot of times in cinema( Two friends and one has a big problem so we see them bond etc).No big speeches nor big scenes, except one scene towards the end. I really liked the approach to transfer emotions through details friends have in their all day rutine. It has a very good pace and the movie is self-aware of its limitations. If you look for a funny,profound and short movie this is one for you.

This was a film in all its simplicity,even though the theme of the story are pretty decent deadly serious. its about 2 men, not lovers, but long neighbourhood friends, just abit weird and shy guys in the middle aged era of life. they have some special interests and hobbies that they share,and wont let other ones into, because it weird and childish, like watching old kungfu moies and simulate the moves in the sofa......until life is turned upside down due to cancer, and the race for life and death starts.

its a great film on the assisted suicide subject,which has become a legal norm in many countries when you have got a lethal diagnose.

mark duplass and ray romano does this flick to gold, without any sidekicks at all, and reflects many typical friendships all over the world. the part where they mixed the barbiturates to drink are quite shaky, and when the bitter tasting end finally arrives its done pretty fast and painless. its an alternative way of dying of course, had i been in the same situation, without any strings to the surroundings when getting deadly cancer i would have struggled to chose this rather than cronic pain and vomiting.

the grumpy old man thinks this film joins the fellowship of dying dudes characters-movies and recommends it warmly

(Flash Review)

The film opens with two chums, true best friends, in a doctor's office where Michael is told he has Cancer. It turns out to be terminal. He tells his friend Andy that he wants him to help himself 'end' it with a special prescription the doctor gave him Andy being a neurotic personally has challenges being the one asked to assist. The charm is in the characters special friendship interplay. This is a straight-forward subtle story about true friends in a very somber situation and focuses on the journey to the end and their distinctive friendship. Well-acted with a realistic feel and an independent feel that stuck with me days after.

Just a wonderful little film. Terrific acting in service of a beautiful and unusual story of closeted gay love. I'm happy someone occasionally still has the audacity to pour their heart and soul into a film like this. I loved every minute of it. Thank you.

Difficult to watch in places, as expected for the subject matter. However 2 great performances, well filmed and produced.

No cliches, very well done. Real, near, honest, even, warm.

It's an Indie movie, a drama whose script is about a friendship between two friends who are about to split up because of an imminent fatality that struck one of them. The movie is slow and focuses on the dialogues of the two friends. It is an interesting story, with beginning, middle and end. It is indicated mainly for lovers of Indie dramas.

I must not have watched the same movie as the rest here apparently. I didn't find Paddleton as good as the vast majority obviously thinks. What could have been an emotional story just fell very bland to me. I can't help to see Ray Romano in anything else than in Everybody Loves Raymond. His monotone acting in that show just continues in this movie, it all looks the same to me. I always thought he was a bit boring to watch, and in this movie it's not an exception. I'm just not a fan of Roman, can't help it, to me he just ruins the movie.