A Film Worth Watching: Paterson

When people talk about cosy films, they usually mean something predictable and reassuring, perhaps with a happy ending. For me, it simply means comforting, and Paterson, Jim Jarmusch's 2016 film about a bus driver who writes poetry, is one of the most comforting films I know.

It is a quiet film about everyday life.

Paterson has a simple routine. He wakes up, goes to work, drives his bus, and writes poems in a notebook. He comes home to his partner, walks their bulldog, and has a beer at the local bar. The next day, he does it all again.

There is no great adventure or grand journey, and very little to disrupt the calm rhythm of the days.

Instead, the story finds something in ordinary places. A matchbox, a snippet of conversation on a bus, a waterfall, a dance, the changing light of an afternoon. These things matter because Paterson takes the time to look at them.

That is what makes the film restful. It gives you time to notice things that might otherwise pass unnoticed. You can simply spend a little time in his world.

The film seems to be about almost nothing, but somehow it ends up being about everything. A matchbox can become a love poem. A routine can become a life.

You don't always need to go somewhere new. You are already somewhere. You are already here.

These days, if I want to see something, I can walk down to the lake and look at what washed up that morning: a feather, a piece of driftwood, or a stone I never noticed before. Or I can stay at home.

There is a coffee cup sitting on my desk as I write this. The light catches the cup, and for a moment I notice it.

Nothing has changed. It is still just a coffee cup. But now I am looking at it.

Paterson (2016)
Director: Jim Jarmusch

It is a slow, gentle film, so it may not be for everyone. But if you like films that give you time to sit with a quiet place and an ordinary life, I think it makes a lovely film for a cosy evening.

Vocabulary

cosy
Comfortable, warm and relaxing.
It is a cosy film for a quiet evening.

reassuring
Making you feel calm or safe.
There is something reassuring about a familiar routine.

a snippet of conversation
A short piece of a conversation.
I overheard a snippet of conversation on the bus.
See my previous column for more words like this.

find wonder in something
To notice something beautiful or interesting in an ordinary thing.
The film finds wonder in everyday life.

wash up
To be brought onto the shore by the water.
We found a piece of driftwood that had washed up on the beach.

restful
Providing rest or peace; calm and quiet.
The film has a slow and restful pace.