Paris, Texas

i will be thinking about this film for a long, long time. it’s incredibly rare that a movie can be so quiet and yet use its stillness to create an incredible sense of tension, to the point where the simple scene of a father walking across the street to reach his son made me audibly gasp. paris, texas (much like its protagonist) says very little while also perfectly portraying the pain felt by its characters. this is the kind of film that is more interested in questions than answers. like it’s namesake, paris, texas knows that the ending isn’t what you’re expecting based on its starting point. that’s the whole purpose of the movie! it’s fascinated by the expectations we have, and what happens when we (or others) fail to live up to them. can we ever recover a relationship once we’ve effectively burnt our connection to the ground? what does it mean to be someone’s parent? why do we walk away from people we love, and is it ever justified? what makes people family? i don’t know that this film has a thesis statement—and that’s part of why i’m so impressed by it. like life, this film is messy, but it never loses sight of the deep melancholy and ambivalence ingrained into our choices. this film is also one of the most beautiful movies i’ve ever seen. there’s a reason cinematographers chose this! every color palette is evocative and purposeful. it truly mirrors the state of the characters—from the stark brightness of the sky to the dim green sconces in a quasi-brothel, everything is done for a reason. sam levinson, eat your heart out. i can’t believe people rave about his empty aesthetic choices when films like this exist. i loved this. it’s remarkable how kind it manages to feel despite its dark subject matter. hopefully, redemption remains possible. p.s. i love that claire denis assistant directed this! the cream rises to the top i guess (and then directs beau travail).