Paris, Texas

I'm starting to become really fond of Wim Wenders filmography and this film is absolutely a driving factor in that. I originally decided to watch it after finding out that it was (supposedly) Elliott Smith's favourite movie, so admiring him and trusting his taste I gave it a go. I'm really really glad I did. I've been writing and rewriting this review for a couple of days after seeing this film because the more I think about it the more I love it. To start, it's not the most common occurrence for me to be so quickly and intensely identifying and sympathising with a character, but Harry Dean Stantons performance as Travis immediately hit me. For the portion of the film where Travis doesn't speak at all, his physical acting and expressions are so engaging which is honestly a feat. Even as he comes out of his shell and begins speak, his demeanour changes but his character is still very much consistent. I'm honestly not sure if it's the immediate sense of recognition of myself in his charecter which I'm sure lots and lots of people will be in same boat about, or just his phenomenal characterisation that makes him such an easy character to root for and care about genuinely. I feel like a lot of the time in my reviews I tend to be quite repetitive, but I mean it when I say every frame of this film could be a painting. Everything in every shot feels like it has purpose, the shots almost feel weighted in a way, a lot of them are static and lit simply (and nicely mind you) and they feel really grounded. Every single shot in the sequence of Travis and Jane's final conversation have stuck with me for days. I think it's an example of perfect film making. Emotionally this film, like other of Wim Wenders work, does a wonderful job of show casing a range of human emotion and motivation, and most importantly in this film, family. The way this film has you consider what it means to be family is honestly really impactful, and I'm certain no matter what kind of family background you come from it'll have an aspect of relatability in one way or another. There are so many moments I could mention here that all effected me in different ways. I would go on forever about this movie, but overall I'd say incredibly worth watching.