“Let there be wealth without tears; enough for the wise man who will ask no further” is a quote from Aeschylus’s “Agamemnon” which opens Paper Tiger, James Gray’s latest movie. Quoting one of the most famous writers of ancient Greek tragedy only feels appropriate for this film, whose story is a tragedy in its own right. After all, the movie has a lot of the central elements that are typical of an ancient Greek tragedy: the noble but flawed tragic hero, the individual suffering due to human limitation, the desire to have more and more, and the unity of action that maintains the dramatic focus on one principal plotline.
Set in Queens in 1986, the movie follows Irwin Pearl (Miles Teller), an engineer, and his family, made up of his wife Hester (Scarlett Johansson) and their sons, eighteen-year-old Scott (Gavin Goudey), who is about to go to college and Ben (Roman Engel). When Irwin’s older brother, Gary (Adam Driver), a former police officer, turns up at his door with an opportunity that seems too good to be true, Irwin jumps at the chance to turn his working-class background around and chase the American Dream for his family. But Gary’s plan ends up having Irwin involved with the Russian mob, whose boss Simeon Bogoyavich (Victor Ptak) starts terrorising the Pearl family.
The cast is excellent, especially the leading trio made up of Teller, Driver, and Johansson, who work really well together to create the tense family dynamic that we see in the film. Teller and Driver are especially strong opposite each other, delivering some of the film’s best scenes when they are in conflict and against each other due to their very different personalities. Both actors do a wonderful job at exploring the inner workings of Irwin and Gary, respectively, allowing the viewers an insight into what each brother thinks or feels. Johansson has a lot less to work with in terms of material, but is equally able to portray a well-rounded and touching portrayal of Esther.
The tension builds from the very first scene until the last one to deliver a heartbreakingly poignant portrayal of the failure of the American Dream. While there are moments of comedy and humour throughout the story, the film never allows the audience to shake away the feeling that something bad is going to happen, and disaster and heartbreak are just around the corner. Well-paced and cleverly written, the movie never lets us – nor the characters – forget about the threat that the family is under by creating constant reminders and a tension that explodes in a memorable final sequence in a corn field.
The script may seem a little awkward at first, but Gray creates a world that is so authentic, detailed, and real that the audience ends up believing in it relatively quickly. It is also delivered so convincingly that it only takes one scene to get on board with the atmosphere and aesthetics of the time that the movie is conveying through its writing, costumes, and production design. At times, it also may feel like a slow film, but it is paced very well overall as the overlapping stories of the different characters eventually come together to portray the tragedy of an American family.
Overall, Paper Tiger is a tragedy about the collapse of the American Dream and the harsh reality that those who are not part of the extra wealthy 1% have to face. In many ways, this makes the movie even more relevant today for audiences all around the world who are still experiencing similar struggles around inequalities and class struggle, despite being set in the 80s in New York.
★★★★
Premiered at Cannes on May 16, in cinemas soon / Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller / Director: James Gray / Neon
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