Paper towns are fictitious places intentionally listed on maps to catch acts of plagiarism and copyright infringement. While tourist hub Orlando, Florida, is far from one of these made-up locations, high-school senior Margo Roth Spiegelman (Cara Delevingne) feels as if it is. She looks around and in place of genuine truth and passion she sees people going through the motions of artificial lives, terminal pretenders determined to maintain the status quo. Just as her friends and family and longtime next-door neighbor Quentin "Q" Jacobsen (Nat Wolff) see her a certain way, she sees herself as someone entirely different—the so-called "myth" of her persona but a paper construct in and of itself. Unusual enough to feel fresh and faithful enough to still comfortably adhere to the cornerstones of coming-of-age cinema, "Paper Towns" is a teen-focused slice-of-life done right. Directed with wizened sincerity by Jake Schreier (2012's "Robot & Frank") and adapted from John Green's 2008 novel by screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (2014's "The Fault in Our Stars"), the film surprises not so much in its destination but in the act of getting there. Unlike most movies about teenagers, here is one where it's not so easy to guess what will happen next.
See Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com. for full review
