“Paradise” (2024) is Cambridge native, director and cowriter Max Isaacson’s feature debut about Ella Patchet (Patricia Allison), a young person who lives on an island in a world similar in its love of gun culture, which is exhibited by adhering to Western and duel aesthetics. Her father, Dan Patchet (Bashir Salahuddin), is the sheriff and would prefer if she would live a more peaceful life, but when someone murders him, she sets out to find out who did it and get revenge; however, she uncovers more than just the identity of his murderer.
Ella is not a typical woman, which is a relief, and I was not certain how I felt about her either because it was the filmmakers’ intent to keep its audience off balance to relate to Ella or Allison’s performance. I like kick ass women, especially unlikeable ones. Just because Ella is comfortable fighting people and threatening to shoot them does not mean that she will be equally unperturbed at being responsible for a blood bath, but she is. There is never a moment of hesitation in her transition from enjoying violence as a pastime to engaging in serious work. Ella is at her best for being unfazed when she applies her theoretical reindeer games of gunplay to a high stake, life-or-death fight for survival.
Ella starts her journey for the truth believing that her father never carries a gun, and that his choice resulted in the loss of innocent life, which leads her to take an opposite path. Later the movie’s mythology introduces that Patchets are innately good at fighting, which seems contradictory to Ella’s prior lifetime experience of being a rebel and an anomaly. So is her lack of emotional reaction to escalating and killing people a faulty acting choice or part of the mythology? I enjoyed seeing her handle herself well especially without the gun. As a backseat strategist, I was frustrated that people get the drop on her numerous times, which was realistic considering that she is new to the life of being a real gunslinger. Watch your back!
“Paradise” gives the impression that no one pegged her as a juvenile delinquent because she never crossed a line despite her antics with a gun. It also does not hurt that her father is the sheriff, and she associates with the mayor’s son, Giles Whitney (C.J. Hoff), who is a hilarious local drug dealer with a panache for colorful phrasing and an annoying voice. They seem like they have been antagonists since they were kids, and their relationship journey is probably the one that highlights how I hoped her character’s trajectory would develop. Giles goes from being an unrepentant asshole who does not mind saying horrible things but feels quite differently when he realizes the unintended impact of his ridicule on others. Acting like a jerk and being a hard person are two different existences, not necessarily a seamless evolution.
The mayor, Calvin “If it becomes my problem, what do I need you for” (preach) Whitney (Tate Donovan), is framed as a man trying to turn the island around and save it from an environmental apocalypse. Other than the denizens’ penchant for the occasional bar brawl and purloining kitchen appliances, reports of the island’s downfall stop at words. There is a little crime, but the way that people talk about the place, iI expected Baltimore from “The Wire.” Even though “Paradise” was filmed in Hawaii, it was unclear if the film is supposed to occur there. It takes a while to get adjusted to the rules of this universe, which are so like our world, but so different. If you are curious to learn more, check out my spoiler-filled Q&A with Isaacson to get more riveting details about the backdrop of Ella Patchet’s world. If I have one complaint about the movie, I would have liked more details and casual prose dumping about this world because it is fascinating, well-thought out and coherent, but it is underdeveloped on screen and left to our imagination.
The negative element comes from the outside. There are rumors in the press that drug dealer, Lee Page, is coming back to town. State police officer Sam Mayo (Adam Lustick) arrives on the scene to restore law and order at the mayor’s behest, but clearly has his own agenda. Lustick’s performance is solid, and he keeps everyone on their toes. When he seems menacing, he is not then other times he seems craven and lashes out. Mayor Whitney and Mayo have an eager local cop, Hobbes (Arjun Gupta), who blindly obeys their orders and like everyone else, is not psychologically prepared for handling serious crimes. Hobbs’ character arc was unpredictable, especially his reaction to each twist and turn. Townes (Myles Evans), Ella’s best friend, has Ella’s back. Unlike Ella, he is usually a bystander to the gunslinger pastime, not a practitioner, so he is ill-equip mentally and physically to assist, which leads to Ella’s most powerful, emotionally resonant moments.
“Paradise” is the kind of movie that improves with repeat viewings, and it looks amazing on the big screen. Isaacson’s color palette is gorgeous and in stark contrast to his short “Pipe” (2018), which was varying shades of grey. My favorite two shots are in the beginning and end. When Ella is going to the gunslinger contest, she descends a staircase with yellow lighting her path, and in the denouement, she ascends a staircase with orange yellow lighting as if a sunrise lit up the interior. The descent is intercut and parallels her father’s moments before assassins kill him, and it painfully contrasts how Ella’s view of guns as a sign of toughness and protection have a reverse meaning for others, which she understands, but does not practice like her dad. Even though Ella is a grown woman, this coming-of-age film finds her maturing in her view of violence as a useful tool of pride. Also, if you watch the movie closely, the characters often say or act in ways that portend how they will end up, but it is not obvious until the second viewing.
If “Paradise” has a secret weapon, it is Tia Carerre’s gonzo appearance. It is the kind of scene-stealing performance that makes me wish that Isaacson, Borden and Carerre could go back in time and film a prequel about her character’s exploits when her character was Ella’s age. Her role has a huge impact on the film and is a genuine revelation that few will see coming. Her character has some dialogue that Carrere physically interprets in unexpected ways. As the only mature woman in the film, she is a breath of fresh air and has a level of sober credibility in her flippant, hilarious, unconventional approach that the men do not. Overall, it is a hilarious film, but she steals the whole movie in a short amount of time.
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How did the mayor trick the sheriff into believing that Lee Paige killed his wife and son when Ella figures it out during the movie? Biggest plot twist: Hobbs being the worst, dehumanizing piece of shit ever. You expect him to be horrible, but he exceeds expectation. Also slow 80s clap of appreciation to Giles for having a sense of morality and standing by his frenemy. He is a real one.