In Defense of Diablo Cody's "Paradise"

Left to right: Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, and Julianne Hough

Since her debut as a screenwriter in 2007 with Juno, Diablo Cody has managed to become one of the more divisive writers in modern American cinema. While it is an achievement to be recognized for the output, there are also those that claim that her pop-culture obsessed writing style is a little rote and not all that interesting. To accuse her of this is to look only on the surface, as her works have explored complicated women, whether they be body issues (Jennifer's Body), mental illness (United States of Tara), or selfishness (Young Adult). She is a writer with a distinguished voice, and while her directorial Paradise may not be as great as her other films, it is nonetheless an underrated experiment.

It is always interesting to see someone take on the directorial chair from a different standpoint. Cody's writing sparks on the page, but there is an unfortunate downside to her behind the camera. While she manages to perfect a tone, the visual senses aren't exactly all that appealing. The choice of font, bright cursive text, blend too much with the background to the point that acting, directing, and other credits are illegible. Even if Cody's work has been perceived as quirky, thanks to two films with Jason Reitman, she doesn't recapture any visual distinguishes. In fact, it almost seems fitting that the film went straight to DirectTV because it works as a TV movie more than a theatrical debut.

However, to accuse the film's lack of stylized imagery is to ignore the bigger picture. Cody is first and foremost a writer. Much like in the past, she decides to explore complicated women struggling with issues. In Paradise, she gives focus to Lamb (Julianne Hough), who is the victim of a plane crash that leaves her pining that there is no God. In order to rebel, she decides that the best means is to go to the "City of Sin," or Las Vegas. While there is a sense of Lamb's religious undertones, this doesn't feel so much like an attack on religion, but the concept of being close-minded because of your upbringing in a rural, secluded neighborhood.

Even if Lamb is not by any means a pop culture junkie like every other Cody character, she does have a hyperactive personality. As seen in the opening shot, she is presenting two sides of her life on a beach: the naive, innocent woman and the bitter one covered in burns from after the plane crash. With voice-over providing analysis, there is this large sense of regret and belief that she has been living life wrong. The progression into rebellion seems familiar the more it is accepted that it took tragedy to change her life.

Yes, there is a sense that this script could have used some more polishing. At first, it is hard to separate a perceived attack on religion with Lamb's quest to find herself. Early on, she speaks before a church and starts slandering everything that the church stood for. It is done so casually and without sincerity that it does seem surface-level laziness. Even as she enters the central part of the plot, she does have some biases, including thoughts on race, other religions, and debauchery. She strives to be different, but cannot help but enjoy that she is rebelling with things that she has never seen before.

The thing that Cody brings to this character that works is naivety. Lamb is an interesting character because she finds mundane things fascinating. There is a sense that she is sheltered beyond belief and even if it does get played over the top at points, there is a sense of wonder and awe. She treats Las Vegas as a mystical new land with wonders around every corner, and it almost feels like a more respectful attempt at portraying the city than the Hangover III did earlier this year. It looks like a land of fun and magic without any dangerous element.

If the film has any fault, it is that Lamb is too innocent to just fall into a modicum of bad habits. Paradise is very much a safe look at rebellion, though the story goes beyond that. Her friends William (Russell Brand) and Loray (Octavia Spencer) are her guides through the world that makes the entire movie feel like a series of fun moments. The film isn't trying to shock the audience nor is it trying to decry Lamb's past. Instead, it begins to become an understanding of why we rebel, including why Lamb is so frustrated in the first place.

In the film's third act, things take an interesting turn and Cody's skills as a writer begin to show up. As a narrative, things come to a satisfying ending when she finally goes to the wildest club in Las Vegas only to land in the bathroom with a hooker that she saw on a card on the floor in the second act. The moment is played for sincerity and it creates the ultimate moment of charity and openness for Lamb. It turns out that she wasn't on a quest to misbehave, but just understand life. Through her time with the hooker, she realizes that differences don't make people bad, just perception. They do what they got to do survive. 

Maybe the story is a little flat on a comedic level, but it an interesting experiment on a narrative level. As Cody has stated in interviews, she hates directing, and Paradise doesn't reflect a yearning to start a new project any time soon. Even if the film is a predictable, it does wear its sincerity on its sleeve and is a humble little project all about accepting others and stepping outside of your comfort zone. It is by no means Cody's best, but it also doesn't feel right to malign the film's lack of charm. She definitely tries to make Lamb's story have an impact, and it does by feeling different from anything that she has done before.

Maybe Paradise won't go down in history as her best project, but it does plenty of interesting things are somewhat ambitious and different. By stepping outside of Cody's own comfort zone, she has explored the psychological connection between sheltered living and trying to rebel against your standards. In the end, you will probably find a middle ground and the problems you thought you had weren't there. It may not depict Lamb's religious upbringing in the most politically correct way, but if viewed as a singular person's beliefs as opposed to an entire religion, it makes a lot more sense. As Lamb looks at herself on the beach at the beginning, she evolves in not looking at the tragedy as a moment of defeat, but a moment to be more thankful.

The film's brisk 90-minute run time means that it is a quick afternoon viewing. This feels appropriate, as the film doesn't entirely have a cinematic quality. It has plenty of rough edges and notably bad background conversations, but much like Cody's other work, it does feel more like an exploration of a person as opposed to concepts. Maybe the concepts here seem more surface-level than anything she has done, but there isn't a lack of focus to be found. She dedicates to the scenario and while often questionably executed, did turn in a film that is occasionally funny. It may feel too safe and meandering to be entirely profound, but it does reflect Cody's desire to try something different. Lamb's rebellion being a surrogate for Cody's directorial choices seems almost as apt as this could be. Not perfect, but there is something there that makes it worth checking out.