Paradox (II) (2018) User Reviews

Neil, Willie (and sons!) and Some Great Music

[backofthevan · 5/10 · 13 April 2019]

The 5 stars are for the opportunity to see and hear Neil Young and his band, Willie Nelson and two of his boys, Lukas and Micah. Lukas does an amazing version of his father's song, Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, which I thought at first was Willie. Beautiful voice, and so like his old man. What a gift!

I liked the music, and seeing these people I was happy to see in a film (always great to see Willie, even if only briefly). Liked the ranch/old west location, the costumes, the wildlife and nature, the focus on sharing seeds and growing food, the lack of violence, some of the dialogue (there wasn't much).

This is like an overlong, surreal, poorly shot/directed/edited music video. If you are looking for a coherent story with a beginning, middle and end, this isn't it. If you like the people involved and their music and have nothing much to do, you could have this on and enjoy its special moments.

This movie should have been a full live performance

[thedude75 · 3/10 · 26 March 2018]

My advice : watch it between the 34th an the 53rd minute (cool live part) the rest is just random editing (no real story no cinematography, bad acting) with no particular interest... sometimes there is a good tune for a minute... globally disapointing

Expecting to Fly

[st-shot · 3/10 · 25 March 2018]

Self described "auteur" Darryl Hannah stumbles around some mighty pretty territory while her cinematographer Adam Vollick fumbles to get acquainted and haphazardly experiment with his camera in this disjointed slacked jawed oater that features legendary rocker Neil Young and his band playing cowboys. With only snippets of jarring visual interest and the ambiguity of the early moments dissolving into heavy handed pretense it takes a full half hour for Paradox to pull out of its scattered torpor as Neil and the boys come to the rescue with a stirring rendition of his Peace Trail. The respite remains brief however as Young takes one of his most beautiful acoustical works Pocohantes and turns it into a dirge with a portable pipe organ. The rest of his score simply provides intrusive bombast to enigmatic skies, glorious aspens and grazing animals (deservedly noted in the credits since they give the best performances) while cowgirl in the sand Hannah incoherently presents her surreal vision with an 8 1/2 version of two cowpokes tethered to the ground flying kite like above the tent where Neil and the boys perform.

Paradox is similar in many ways to Young's wandering Journey Through the Past made in the 1970s. After the massive success of the documentary Woodstock Hollywood was eager to tap into the hippie phenomena and sought out Young who enlisted fellow pop troubadours that he would use and lose according to his needs over the years Crosby, Stills and Nash to make the same rambling self satisfied stream of conscious mess that Paradox is. This time around he's footing the bill and got a new band but the thrust remains the same, his presentation the nostalgic turn today that Lawrence Welk was offering his graying audience back in the 70s. Only the uniforms have been changed to protect the cool.

Neil Young was great, the rest - not so much

[bettycjung · 28 March 2018]

3/26/18. Not for everybody. I like Neil Young, so the music part was great, not so much the disparity between the music and the background scenery (that had very little to do with the music). Watch this (or, maybe just listen to it) for Neil Young.

Should have just been an album.

[ronsmonkeys · 2/10 · 25 March 2018]

Ten minutes in and so far HUGELY disappointed. Awful directing and cinematography awful acting (apparently they're Young's band so they're not actors) the soundtrack from Young sounds great but I think maybe it could have just been an album and we could have imagined the movie ourselves.

It doesn't improve. Feed like a student film... and not a great one.

Terrible waste of time.

[fstclairejm · 1/10 · 27 March 2018]

I kept waiting for some plot in this thing and there is none. The only thing it has is amateurish camera work trying to look artistic such as faded camera and other techniques that just don't work in the movie. The acting is amateurish. I didn't even like the guitar music. The camera was shaky and blurry at times and really more aimed at catching scenery that would be a more appropriate for National Geographic. An absolute snoozer unless you like the music and for action you have a guy peeing on a rock or two guys sitting in an outhouse talking to each other. Even the beginning fails by using dialogue between two of them to explain each of the characters. I found myself fast-forwarding to try and find something other than scenery or bad guitar music and I failed. If they wanted to make a bad music video, they may have succeeded. Don't waste your time.

Goofy and ultimately boring.

[lesleyswc · 3/10 · 27 March 2018]

I so wanted to love this. Willy Nelson. Neil Young? How could it not be fabulous.The intro is more interesting than the actual story. Even if it were just an album. You would have to edit out the annoying screeches. Great idea but...as always it's in the details.

Waste of Time

[spacechick-75-91100 · 1/10 · 6 June 2021]

Sorry folks, but just a pathetic piece of nothing, with a nothing plot, nothing actors, nothing cinematography.

Not even Willie Nelson or Neil Young could save it.

Not even the writer made a dent in the idiocracy of this film.

Nothing Nothing Nothing.

Where in the heck did all these 9 & 10 scores come from?

Sad.

Pathetic.

And hopefully Daryl Hannah will go back to what she does best - breaking up people's marriages. Sans Neil.

bad copy of

[jactantia · 2/10 · 7 July 2020]

Alejandro jodorowsky's movie.she could be good actress but from a and z bad production.

Should Have Been Concert Video

[caramia2002 · 1/10 · 16 October 2021]

With some of the gorgeous, but badly shot, Colorado mountains and wildlife. The band's live performances are pretty good but too, too much amateur film around it. The non-band soundtrack, which is mostly Young and his electric guitar, pales next to his classic guitar soundtracks, like the Malick film, Dead Man. Plus a bunch of nothing blues licks/songs. FYI, Willie is only in this for 5sec.

This throwback film makes me feel old as I am. I guess Young and Hannah still cling to the circa 1970 fad of being in a "cool" cowboy film with pop music, ala Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Kids will think they are watching an old folks film.

If you have a message to get across, please don't make it "only for insiders" and those who "understand" Young's films. That's stupid. If you want to make an environmental statement that's effective, then do it right. Ditto mountain music video or live concert.

Pretty good jam in the middle, based on Cowgirl in the Sand. But left me wishing the actual song was in there somewhere. Nice version of Pocahontas, but underwhelming Peace Trail. Interesting version of Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, by Willie's imitative son, Lukas, except it sounds too studio, but the players are often in the campfire's smoke lol. Hats off to them for sticking it out.

I figure the best thing is to mark the performance spots and ignore the rest, but why? Just go to YT and see all you want without bad acting, bad cinematography, bad direction, and all the cluelessness you don't want.

Highly recommended film - potentially a cult classic

[peter-1841 · 10/10 · 12 March 2021]

This is the way films should be made more often. Not all of them but a good many.

This isn't Hollywood so if you are expecting a three act, plot driven pile of industry crap it's not that, and it's not meant to be that either. And you will miss the point if you do.

It is however a piece of brilliance and more of a visual poetic documentation of a way of life. Anyone who says different is lacking in intelligence. You have to nail yourself to the seat and watch it from beginning to end and slap yourself across the face several times as you watch it to stop looking for structure. Its flaws are what makes it a great film.

Stick with it and have an open mind and it will sink in.

10/10 from me if there was an eleven I'd give it that. Mark my words it will be a cult film one day

👍

You have to be stoned to find the story ...

[lindy_bop · 7/10 · 2 April 2018]

It was slow getting started ... if it ever did ... and the story (if there was one) made no sense to me. I liked some of the songs, I liked Willie Nelson and his sons. Neil ... well, it was an ego-trip, wasn't it? But we did watch the whole movie and when it was done, I asked my son, what was that about? He said you'd have to be stoned to find out, I guess. Rock on, Neil.

of course it's not hateful eight but still...

[jjr-76474 · 7/10 · 18 September 2021]

Well this is not an unmissable movie by any standard, but as everyone knows, who has been to a Neil Young gig, you cannot help falling in love with, in awe of, the artist. So you get seduced by the simplicity and truth of this movie as you would in a Neil Young concert.

This is a movie shot over a few days, so it should be rated as you would an end of cursus student effort, and in that case it is, to play with words, "the great silence" of student movies. The plot is inexistent but the images are great, and the music is outstanding.

Just go and roll with it if you feel like it. Stay clear if you only listen to bland pop supermarket sugar.

Great music with great cinematography!

[jacobzeise · 10/10 · 24 March 2018]

Really enjoyed this movie I'd like to see more! Only wish Neil would invite me to tag along and play a few tunes. If you take it for what it is you'll love it. Very laid back and good!

A noble and creative effort.

[styrian-84653 · 7/10 · 27 March 2018]

Cinematography and directing were awesome. Music was great. Acting ranged from amateur-hour to not bad. As a musician and film fan, I enjoyed it most after the 23 minute mark.

A joy to watch and listen to

[pbaker-47962 · 10/10 · 17 March 2018]

This is a really fun movie that delights so many of the senses, especially sight and sound. The filming is gorgeous and the music is as good as it gets. Weave both together with a cast that doesn't take themselves too seriously and you have one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in a long time. Ignore the stuffy reviewers that miss the entire point of this delightful movie. The time went by quickly and I only wish there was more. There was some symbolism with regard to the teepees, seeds, and farming that anyone that follows Neil and his recordings would understand. If you like Neil and support many of the causes he is so passionate about, you'll really enjoy this.

$ and formulas are not Neil's style

[pwreimers-57261 · 10/10 · 2 November 2018]

If you're looking for standard movies, big budgets etc.: go elsewhere! This film is not for you. If you can suspend standard expectations, you might enjoy this film. You'd have to know Neil's other films to see this and enjoy it. It's humorous and insightful (love is like a fart...) The filmstock is excellent, as is the cinematography. Viewers that expect standard formulas in films should stick to Hollywood-produced efforts. Do not go out beyond your comfort level! Reviewers that apply standard formulas to Neil's movies will just scratch their heads and wonder.

Young for fans

[henry-583-181184 · 10/10 · 18 May 2018]

Neil Young only for fans and nerds. Great live performance!

A great concept, usual, confusing yet satisfying, with great music!

[jharper-71285 · 9/10 · 26 March 2018]

Watched this on a wim, with no idea what to expect. First 15 minutes, I had no idea what was going on, but as it progressed it was oddly satisfying and enjoyable, music throughout was great. Shot beautifully, definitely a film to watch more than once!

Transcendent

[bwils44 · 9/10 · 20 April 2018]

Land level cowboy space travel at its best.The brilliance of many brilliant artists are brilliantly patched together in a dusty dream. There is no way to properly describe Paradox to anyone. Either you will love it and be part of it or you just won't get it at all.If you are too trapped in lifelock at the moment then maybe,just maybe this film will nudge you to the side just enough to break free to make time for yourself to do something you love. If you are already freely traveling,this film will send a starlit night breeze to lift you a little more. Great job Daryl! And the rest of you hooligan outlaws,I'm quite sure you gave Ms Hannah exactly what she was hoping to tap into.

NOT a traditional movie! But still GREAT!

[cjestme-66521 · 9/10 · 8 April 2018]

Think of this as a creative and offbeat film, rather than a traditional movie with a "normal" plot. If you can do this, you'll find Paradox is an entertaining blend of great music, humor, and a passion for the environment. (Daryl Hannah, Neil Young and Willie Nelson are all strong environmentalists.) The scenery and the cinematography are beautiful, the cast and band look like they had a good time making the film, and the music is, of course, excellent. When I was scanning for something to watch, I wasn't sure about this, but I'm glad I gave it a try. It was great.

**Cool** Neal & Willie

[ab-87805 · 10/10 · 1 April 2018]

Neal Young plays the guitar like he was born with it. Willie Nelson has his own brand of cannabis. Farm Out - Keep On Trucking!! Happy Trails

Amazing Film!!!!

[derdb · 10/10 · 2 April 2018]

Daryl Hanna is an incredible film maker and director. Neil Young is so cool. I dropped and watched this.

Comment on Movie category

[campbell20102042 · 21 May 2018]

It's listed as 'Music' but the the description sounds more like Fantasy/Horror. Please remove this after checking.