So I saw Paper Towns

I got the chance to see Paper Towns ahead of its release. I received a press invite and went by myself to see the film which I had been hearing about nonstop for weeks now.

Now, full disclosure, I'm 23 and female so I might actually fall right into the target demo. Despite all that, I wasn't actually sure if I was going to like the film. I didn't read the novel and I didn't read or see "The Fault In Our Stars".

Regardless, I saw the film and I liked it. I liked it a whole lot.

Paper Towns chronicles the final days of high school for best friends Quentin "Q", Radar, and Ben. The term "coming of age film" gets thrown around a lot. If a character learns one thing through the the course of a film, the movie is dubbed a "coming of age" film. Thankfully Paper Towns wasn't as ham fisted as all that.

During the first 30 minutes I was sure this was going to be a film about a manic pixie dream girl (Cara Delevingne) and Q's quest to win her heart. Thankfully it was not that.

Paper Towns wove a hilarious and interesting story about the perils of romanticising another person. In fact, one of the most memorable lines in the film was this: "how treacherous it is to believe a person is more than a person ". That line basically summarised the film in one sentence. The overwhelming disappointment of building someone else up to be this magical thing and then the crushing realisation that they are merely just another person.

The film lands its lighthearted comedic beats, balancing them nicely with the inevitable low points. Each character feels cared for and well thought out and endearing. Thats the one thing I loved about the film. Even the characters in the periphery of the film feel warm and essential.

As the film wears on, you grow to love each character, learning their personalities and anticipating their reactions.

I thought Paper Towns was great. It wasn't so deep that I couldn't keep up, yet it yielded to some pretty important lessons about adolescence and personal growth. I would 100% recommend the film and say take a friend.