Paranoid Park

Continuing his examination of disenfranchised teens, as seen in the acclaimed Elephant, Gus Van Sant has produced another hypnotic collage of confusion and isolation with Paranoid Park.

Based on the novel by Blake Nelson, the film tells the story of Alex, a quiet and somewhat fragile young skateboarder, who is haunted by the scattered memories of his involvement in a fatal accident. Unfolding through flashbacks and various diary entries, Van Sant's elliptical narrative is both disorienting and curiously soothing, with the fluidity of image and sound creating a tone of dreamy dislocation.

More than 20 years after making waves in the queer film scene with Mala Noche, Van Sant continues to prove himself as one the most talented and important filmmakers working today, gay or otherwise.

Michael Blyth