by Heinrich Domingo & Lei Landicho

John Green has been noted for his novels with profound philosophies masked beneath tales of teenage romance and friendship. He has taken the genre of young adult novels and films by storm. His Paper Towns, for instance, explores one person’s pursuit of her or his own corner in a vast universe of dissatisfaction, discontentment, and dismay.

However, the movie’s version was unable to be at par with Green’s writing. Due to the production’s fear of losing their teen crowd, they presented matters that can be easily sold while losing topics that could have mattered. A lot has been overlooked. Readers of the book can note that the silver screen’s version lack emphasis on the search for one’s dot on a map. Instead, the director focused the viewer’s vision on teen angst, high school romance, and friendship.

As book readers, the film adaptation did not come as a surprise for it was generally faithful to the storyline set by the book. To see the movie in cinema houses is merely to accept a physical representation of characters that swirled upon only in the imagination.

Yet, in order to fully appreciate the film adaptation, it is better to view it as it is – a plain movie.

One of the film’s notable features is its casting. Cara Delevingne’s (Margo Roth Spiegelman) film debut was a success. She embodied the character’s peculiarity through putting together mystery and beauty. The selection of Natt Wolf (Quentin Jacobson) and other actors and actresses rightfully coincide in the world created by the plot. They showed the individual elements of comedy, drama, and romance, all of which revolving around teenage life.

Just like many of the coming-of-age films before its time, Paper Towns uses music to create an instant connection with the audience. The nostalgic sound track in the film emphasizes the significance of musical scoring in filmmaking.

The sequence of events was simplified in order to appeal to the viewing audience. This may come as a positive feature for a crowd that is unfamiliar with the complexity of adolescence and the process of finding one’s self. But for those who wish to see more of the philosophical undertakings of the young today, other films have portrayed better.

Paper Towns is a media piece that the society needs more. There are piles of movie garbage focusing on endless stories of strangers to friends, friends to lovers. Surely, they do not produce a more intelligent viewing group. Both in its print and film form, Paper Towns decides to please its teen audience without succumbing to their whims. It is faithful to John Green’s purpose of educating the young (and young at heart) crowd.

The public has been critical of novel-turned-movie films. They believe that the limited rolls of filmmaking cannot give justice to unlimited rolls of readers’ imagination. Yet, as film critics, it is sometimes more convenient to view these film adaptations as plain movies that stand on their own.

—

Do you agree with our review? Share us your thoughts through putting comments below. Cinephiles unite!