Paper Towns Review

Today, a group of us here at Wanderlust Blog thought that the time had come to see the adaptation of Paper Towns, a novel by John Green. Some of us had read the book, while others hadn’t. I personally found the book okay, but the movie was far better balanced between Quentin’s moping and the hilarity of his companions.

The stand-out performance however, was Q’s best friend Ben, played by Austin Abrams. I cannot express how much I loved his performance in this movie. I was laughing in that hardly breathing way, where you’re not sure if you’re crying or laughing, the kind that usually only happens in the midst of a group of friends who know each other well and have made an inside joke that nobody outside the group would have blinked an eye at. I felt like I was somehow in on all of Ben’s jokes and innuendos and was laughing as hard as his friends were. Ben, throughout the movie, provides comic relief from Q’s frankly obsessive behavior towards Margo – an example that many people may not have caught was when the gang arrived at the shack in Agloe, New York, and everyone is very somberly searching for Margo. Then, slightly blurry in the background, all you see is Ben hitting the ground with a very large stick. Also, his thing about Q’s mum was just hilarious. I felt like the only time Q was funny was when Ben was there for him to converse with.

Margo, portrayed by the model Cara Delevingne caused a little controversy between myself, Morgan, and my friend, Catie. The bushy eyebrow-ed Margo’s personality was both admired and, well, slightly detested by us bloggers. On one hand, Morgan saw Cara’s different view on life as the way society should see the world.

I’ve lived here for eighteen years and I have never once in my life come across anyone who cares about anything that matters.

After hearing Margo’s strong view, it seemed to contrast with the fact that she then proceeded to leave behind her mother, father, little sister and all of her friends the next day. Margo cant seem to stick to an opinion, can she? She also doesn’t end up going to prom with Q and this left me with an unsatisfied feeling in my stomach as I left the cinema. Oh well, aside from the character, Cara’s acting was excellent in the film and we’re glad she’s enjoying her new career as an actress.

Overall the film gives off a positive vibe as the group of close friends are having fun for the first and, sadly, for the last time.

Robyn, Morgan and Catie,

Wanderlust Blog.