Delayed Reaction: Paris, Texas

The Pitch: Do you recognize the name Harry Dean Stanton? This is probably why.

Am amnesiac man reunites with his young son before going off to find his ex-wife (the boy's mother).

Watching Paris, Texas, I'm reminded of the old Godfather debate: Can The Godfather Part II be the greatest film ever made if you can't appreciate it without The Godfather? Really, it's the debate with any sequels. Since they are dependent on something before them, can they really be considered singularly great? I'm reminded of this because that's how I feel about the two halves of Paris, Texas.

The first half of the movie, when Stanton is first picked up by his brother, gets his memory back, and reconnects with his son, is slow, methodical, and occasionally charming. I was a little bored by it. I certainly didn't understand why critics and movie snobs raved about the movie. The second half of the film is almost a different movie entirely, about a man finding and making peace with his ex-wife. That half  blew me away and is one of my favorite things I've seen in quite a while. Comparing Paris, Texas to a movie and its sequel rather than the narrative build that happens in any movie is  because Paris, Texas is quite long, with two halves that are distinctly different. I need the first half of the film because it gives me all the backstory I need later on. It sets the patient tone of the film which pays off in the extended scenes later. More simply, the more time spent early makes the payoff at the end even richer. Like how two characters getting together at the end of a TV season means more than it would in if they got together in episode 2, even if contrivance was the only thing keeping them apart the whole time.

I guess my stance is that if I have to put up with the first half to get to those scenes at the end, then it's time well spent. I loved then end, even though I have big questions about timelines, ages, and am not even sure if Stanton's character deserves the sympathetic treatment he's given. Everything the movie does with the two one-way mirror scenes is incredible. Stanton and Nasrassja Kinksi are as great silently reacting to each other as they are monologging. I went from being barely checked-in to the movie to nearly unblinking by the end.

I think this is my favorite Palme d'Or winner. Granted, I've only seen 14 grand prize winners from the Cannes Film Festival. Maybe The Conversation ranks higher.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend