This 96%-Rated Drama Is a Gentle Reminder That the Best Stories Are Often the Quietest
The film shows how poetry can emerge from even the most insignificant details if one knows how to notice them.
Jim Jarmusch's Paterson is a contemplative ode to the everyday. Jarmusch, who had originally planned to become a poet and worked as a bus driver in New York City in the late 1970s, has perhaps made the most poetic film of his career.
Jarmusch transforms the main character's mundane existence into an ode to love and the constant search for beauty in ordinary things.
What Is 'Paterson' About?
The movie follows a week in the life of a bus driver named Paterson who lives in Paterson, New Jersey. Every morning, he wakes up, eats breakfast, and drives passengers along the same route.
After work, he stops at a local bar for a beer before returning home to his wife, Laura, and their bulldog, Marvin, then he goes to bed. The next day, the same order of things happens.
But this apparent routine hides magic – lines of poetry constantly appear in Paterson's mind, and he carefully jots them down in his notebook. These poems come to him while he's driving from one stop to the next, overhearing strangers' conversations, or embracing his girlfriend.
'Paterson' Is a Movie About Poetry in Everyday Life and Perfect Routine
Paterson's life is pure romance, in the highest sense, not the vulgar one. He transforms the beauty of everyday life into poetry, and he encounters poets everywhere – such is the magic of the city.
He sincerely loves his wife, who bakes cupcakes and dreams of a career as a country singer, as well as life itself. Viewers know virtually nothing about his biography except for a photograph from the army.
It seems the driver has had to undergo many internal changes to maintain his composure, peace of mind, and harmony, which are disturbed only by Marvin's gluttony and the bar visitors' drunken brawls.
While watching the movie with its bluish hues, it's impossible not to succumb to Paterson's lyrical mood – despite his melancholy, boredom, or a vicious dog, he notices the subtle magic of everyday life around him.
Jim Jarmusch is certain that only lovers who can "breathe poetry" and cultivate true romance can survive chaos.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Paterson'?
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Paterson has 96% from critics and 72% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.3/10.
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On Letterboxd, Paterson scored 3.9/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Paterson'?
Paterson is available to stream on Prime Video.
