The Paper

This film sort of disappeared much like the similarly themed Clint Eastwood film TRUE CRIME from the public consciousness though both remain startlingly relevant to the ongoing racialized crime reporting system in America. What both films didn't anticipate is much of a sense of the social outrage in how things can become inverted in the public eye when the police get video'd making arrests that go bad. Both these films cover innocent black suspects wrongfully arrested but both at different stages of their incarceration. Both films center more on a crusading reporter on a search for justice against a time table while facing a major flaw in their life (Eastwood cheating on his wife vs. Keaton's workoholism) vs the actual crime.

Compared with TRUE CRIME, THE PAPER is a decidedly lighter weight affair. Keaton's approach to his character comes off as aloof as usual and many of his coworkers (domineering Glenn Close and sloppy Randy Quaid) feel a little more on the verge of cartoon characters. Robert Duvall pops by with some engaging scene stealing as Keaton's boss (much like James Woods in TRUE CRIME) but he ultimately doesn't lead to much with his side plot. The story also relies heavily on some strange coincidences to propel its plot. What makes it slightly superior though I think is that it has a little more of a sense of realism and immediacy. Things get goofy and unwravel near the ending, but not quite the degree that TRUE CRIME does. Here they do so in the name of comedy, but none of it lands I think because vast stretches of the film go by with no humor at all. It's basically Ron Howard's version of a Robert Altman movie.

All in all, I'd say give this one a look for the performances and as a window into the fading world of newspaper editing. Unfortunately it's merely a 'good' film when it really could have been great.

I usually find Ron Howard's work a tad self-indulgent - you only have to watch Apollo 13 to know what I mean. However, with this, Ron really delivers a fully watchable film.

There are classic comedy moments - the Glenn Close "I light a cigarette..." line is just brilliant - while also providing true pathos with an excellent performance from Marissa Tomei (a disappointingly under-rated actress in anything she is in - witness her performance in Mel Gibson's otherwise rubbish "Whast Women Want").

I saw this in the cinema, and own it on DVD - it features in my regular rotation, and it doesn't matter how many times I watch it, it is still good viewing. A sign of a classic film is how often one can view it without finding scope for criticism - nothing yet!

THE PAPER was a glossy but substance-challenged comedy drama that is supposed to provide an incisive look into the daily running of a large metropolitan newspaper. Michael Keaton stars as Henry Hackett, a maverick reporter trying to get the facts accurate on the biggest story of the decade while simultaneously chasing down a better job at another paper. The impressive supporting cast includes Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid, Jason Alexander, Catherine O'Hara, Spalding Gray, Lynne Thigpen, and a classy cameo by Jason Robards as the paper's publisher. No, there's not a lot going on here, but the all-star cast makes it worth a peek.

Great director, great cast, totally unique. Not even on BluRay... WTF???

This is movie is almost 2 hours long, yet such is the pace it only feels like you've been watching it for an hour. It's like a shot of adrenaline.

A great drama, brilliantly evocative of the early nineties, and loaded with humour. You won't regret watching it!

Ron Howard has assembled an all-star, A-list cast to dramatize a day in the life of a New York City tabloid. And they do a great job of it. Ron Howard is not a director to choose the "edgy" themes, and The Paper is no exception. The main plot focuses on the decision of whether or not to publish a sensational story that the editors and writers suspect is false, but will nonetheless sell lots of papers. This thread is supported by a variety of minor, intertwining stories that weave in and out of the main tale. It's very enjoyable stuff, part drama and part comedy. Ron Howard has made a movie that is just right for that weekend rental for the family.