It’s not possible to choose your family, but, even knowing the potential pitfalls and risks associated with ending up with the same biological relatives, some might still choose the same people if they did have that power. Siblings can have an even greater undeniable appeal given the closeness they may feel as children which translates into something altogether different in adulthood. Paper Tiger is a film about ego, mistakes, and consequences, but, most of all, it’s a tale of two brothers.
Gary (Adam Driver) shows up one night at the Queens home of his brother Irwin (Miles Teller) with a business proposal to come work with him and put his engineering skills to use cleaning up the Gowanus Canal. Gary insists that the Russians running the operation aren’t like the mob that has typically dominated that sector, but a well-meaning nighttime trip to teach his sons Scott (Gavin Goudey) and Benjamin (Roman Engel) the value of protecting a job site shows Irwin that he’s in way over his head. As he worries about the fate of his family, Irwin’s wife Linda (Scarlett Johansson) realizes that her life may also be in jeopardy when she receives surprising health news that she feels compelled not to share with her extremely stressed husband.
This marks a return to the New York Film Festival for writer-director James Gray. While the 2016 closing night selection The Lost City of Z was set far from New York City, his most recent feature, 2022’s Armageddon Time, similarly took place in Queens in the 1980s. Like that film, this is very much centered on family, but the scope isn’t as expansive. While audiences do meet Linda’s mother (Cindy Katz) and there are certain group scenes where these family members interact with others outside their orbit, not much is seen of their lives aside from frightening mobster meetings and a visit to the doctor. Further context might have helped to flesh out who these people are outside of each other rather than merely in relation.
What is shown is quite compelling and intriguing, offering an intense and eye-opening snapshot of how these brothers couldn’t be more different. Gary shows up to dinner wearing a suit and apologizes to the people in a van behind him for making them come out to Queens, and it seems for a moment that he might be paying off a debt and squirming to find a way out of the situation with his brother’s help. Instead, he’s brought hot food from a fancy dining establishment as his gift to his nephews and their parents, indicating the flashiness he always displays. He chimes in when Irwin tells his sons that he regrets not going to an Ivy League school with a reminder of his aversion to schoolwork and how he turned out, infusing a bit of self-pity into a humble brag about how he’s made a life for himself that, at least to those around him, appears wildly carefree and successful.
What ensues remains involving, though Irwin does seem more than a bit oblivious, thinking that he can trust the word of his brother that these suspicious, secretive business partners actually want to hear from him and wouldn’t mind him showing up unannounced at night with no solid explanation of his presence. But it’s precisely that brotherly love and blind admiration which drives him to accept this opportunity and almost immediately come to regret it. It’s evident from the way that Gary embraces Irwin and he eagerly hugs him back that he looks up to this person who doesn’t have a family (he’s going through a bitter divorce, apparently) but whose lifestyle feels so effortless and positive.
All three lead performances in this film are very strong, though it’s a shame that they seem as if they’re almost completely separate. Johansson’s arc is the best example of that, since she commits fully to her steadfast and devoted mother character who’s frazzled by an unexplained car accident and, unlike the two men, takes the reasonable course of action, which is to go to a doctor to see if anything’s wrong. But Linda barely gets any screentime or chance to hash out her feelings, especially with her Marriage Story costar Driver, which is disappointing since Linda has a much more subjective and truthful read on Gary’s dependability than his brother who idolizes him. All three actors lean into their heavy accents and fit into the era with lived-in turns that, taken apart, are each quite impressive and very watchable, especially an unusually joyously charismatic Driver.
From its start, this film, which has excellent production and costume design to ground itself in its era, effectively builds tension, deliberately framing its shots to isolate its characters and preview the increasing danger of their situation. But it doesn’t ultimately lead anywhere rewarding, following a relatively predictable and unexciting course towards a middling end. Spotlighting this particular story feels worthwhile for standout moments within it and the performances it features, but it doesn’t come off as complete or cohesive. Gray knows how to write interesting characters – and to work with talented actors – but this project is hardly his most resounding.
Movie Rating: 6/10
Paper Tiger makes its North American premiere as the Opening Night Film at the 64th New York Film Festival and will be released theatrically by NEON on November 13th.
