Paper Towns was a pleasant surprise and I mean that in the nicest possible way.
It’s not that expectations weren’t high. After all, the movie is based on the best-selling novel by John Green and The Fault In Our Stars (another John Green book-to-film adaptation) was a massive success.
The film also sees model Cara Delevingne stepping into her first lead role as the mysterious Margo.
However, there is always the fear that expectations won’t be met and that you end up watching something that you’ve already seen before.
Margo (Delevingne) and Quentin/Q (Nat Wolff) formed a bond as kids when her family moved across the street but throughout high school they have grown apart, much to his disappointment.
That is, until one night, she knocks on his window and asks him to help her with her latest mission.
While Q thinks that this will change everything, it doesn’t. In fact, Margo disappears the next morning. This leads him on a journey which he never expected.
Cara Delevingne puts in a good performance as the enigmatic Margo but contrary to what you might think, she’s not the star of the show.
Quentin and his friends Ben and Radar, played by Austin Abrams and Justice Smith, are. They have a brilliant chemistry together and deliver quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.
In fact, it is because of them that Paper Towns is so enjoyable and endearing. They help to set this film apart and they make it worth watching.
Because of them, and a reasonably intriguing plot, you are left with a charming movie about growing up and falling in love.
