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44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A grossly underrated masterpiece., March 21, 2002
I can't think of a big enough cynic who can dismiss the charms of this movie. On my list, Paper Moon qualifies as one of the best comedies ever made, a mixture of childlike wonder and wry sarcasm, simultaneously detached in its narrative approach (thanks to amazing understated camerawork) and intimate.The script has no faults. Scenes hurtle forward at a brisk but never hyper pace, every moment pregnant with character development and sharp dialogue. Ryan and Tatum O'Neal's exchanges are pristine in their comic timing, side-splitting and touching at the same time, effortlessly exploiting the chemistry between father and daughter. Their scenes in the car are so hilarious and endearing that you'd wish you could ride with them for hours longer. And the film is rich in period flavour, from the stark black-and-white photography to the music to every character, evoking a sense of longing for a more innocent age without ever lapsing into downright nostalgia. The themes -- the vagabond heart which can't stand still, growing up, identity, friendship -- ring as true today as they always did. I saw this movie when I was quite young and it's never lost its magical hold on me. Watch it again even if you have already; you will discover something new every time.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Only A Paper Moon Sailing Over A Cardboard Sea..., April 28, 2004
Adapted from the matchless novel "Addie Pray" by Joe David Brown, Paper Moon is set in the Midwest/dustbowl during the Great Depression/Roosevelt era. One-of-a-kind directing by Peter Bogdanovich, beautiful black & white cinematography, a great musical score with snippets of old time radio shows like Fibber McGee & Molly, Jack Benny and a host of others.Real-life father & daughter duo, Ryan & Tatum O'Neil team up in this gem of a movie. Ryan plays Moses Pray. A slick, sliver-tongued, gold toothed, travelling huckster & who always has a new con to turn up his sleeve such as door to door Bible selling to recently widowed women, bootlegging, short changing, and a "car swappin' wrasslin' match" between Moses and a very young Randy Quaid. Tatum plays Addie and garnered the coveted Oscar for her performance at the tender age of 10. Addie decides to get in on many of the cons and becomes quite a prolific short change artist. Addie decides on her own to take Moses' last name and travel with him under the guise as his daughter. In one of the best scenes in the movie they deal with whether or not Addie is Moses' illegitimate daughter. That scene is set in a diner while drinking NeHi's and eating Coney Islands. Addie is sure that Moses is, indeed, her father as she states, "We got the SAME jaw!" Moses responds and says, "I know a lady who has the jaw of a bullfrog but that doesn't mean that she's the damn things mother!" Addie asks Moses, "You meet my mamma in a barroom?" (implying that her mamma was a prostitute). Moses comes right back asking Addie, "You think that just because a man meets a woman in a barroom means that they get a baby?" Ryan and Tatum's bantering repartee is natural, hilarious and touching all at the same time. The Prays fall "prey" to a con played on them (well, Moses anyway) as the film progesses, by a hootchie-cootchie sideshow carnival dancer/prostitute named Miss Trixie Delight, adeptly played by Madelyn Kahn who was also nominated for an Oscar. The sneaky and a little jealous Addie deals with Miss Trixie in her own time and also helps out Miss Trixie's maid, Imogene and gives her money to return back to her family. This is a great family movie with a touching father/daughter story to share. No nudity, few "cuss" words, and an all-around crowd pleaser whether you are 6 or 106. I don't mind telling you that this is my favorite movie of all time and I have viewed it upwards of 100 times. I still laugh, cry, and go through a multitude of emotions no matter how many times a watch the film. Certainly, a hallmark of a great cinematic masterpiece! Happy Watching!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Life is Just a Paper Moon...", November 8, 2002
In the 1970s, director, Peter Bogdanovich was at the top of his game contributing a number of classics to that particular golden age of filmmaking. His masterpiece of course was the brilliant movie, "The Last Picture Show", which deserves all its accolades.But one film, which I do not feel has recieved its proper due, is his wonderful nostalgic comedy, "Paper Moon".This is among one of the best comedies to come out of the early '70s. "Paper Moon" takes place in the dust bowl Midwest at the height of the 'Great Depression'. Bible salesman/con-artist, Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal) stops by the funeral of an old female acquaintance to pay his respects. He is immediatly talked into delivering the deceased women's little girl, Addie, (Tatum O'neal) to an Aunt in Saint Joseph, Mo.This episodic film then becomes a road trip movie. At first Mos' and the precocious, little girl (she smokes and swears) are at logger heads. But soon he discovers that Addie is smart and just as good a con- artist as he is.The two team up together and devise various scams to part a variety of fools with their money. Along the way in their adventures they meet up with crooked cops, bootleggers, grieving widows, gullible store clerks,a carney dancer & her valet and even a family of rasl'n hillbillies. Bogdanovich has created a wonderful nostalgic film that is full of both humor and pathos.We laugh as we watch the cons unfold and the twosome (most of the time) get away with their crimes.But their is also a certain melancholic atmosphere, throughout the movie as Bogdonovich shows us a rural America, which has been descimated by the effects of the dustbowl and the Depression.This is greatly aided and highlighted by Cinematographer, Laszlo Kovacs's brilliantly stark, black & white photography.Kovacs's photograhy shows us both the harshness of the midwest's barren landscapes and the pain indelibly etched into the faces of the inhabitents of this place.The photography along with the costumes, set design and music give this film a really authentic feel for the 1930s era.The acting in this movie is first rate! Father/daughter acting team of Ryan & Tatum O'Neal are fantastic in their comic screen roles, giving probably the best performances of both their careers.Compliments should also go to actress, Madeline Kahn for her wonderful supporting role as Miss Trixie Delight, a hilarious carney hootchie-koo dancer who runs a bit of a Con of her own. This is a great classic movie of the '70s, which will give you hours of entertainment! I highly recommend it!
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