The Paragon

By the time this film begins, its hero, Dutch (Benedict Wall), has already died. Fortunately for the story, he got better, but he hasn’t forgotten what put him in that situation: a silver Ford Corolla that seemed to come out of nowhere. He blames the driver of the Ford Corolla for everything: the collapse of his career as a tennis coach with a special programme focused on undermining one’s opponent’s self esteem; the deterioration in his sexual and romantic life; his now permanent limp. He wants revenge. The only way he can think of to pursue it, however, is to wander round New Lynn asking strangers “Have you seen a silver Ford Corolla?” – a technique which proves to be of limited use. He’s losing his way. What he needs is some kind of sign.

The sign, when he finds it, is stuck to a lamp-post, with contact information on tear-away tabs at the bottom. It offers to boost latent psychic powers. This sounds great. He can become a psychic, track down the guilty driver and finally get satisfaction. Dutch, however, is a man who like short cuts. He doesn’t think about the consequences before pouncing on what looks like the easiest option, and, despite the concern expressed by his (adopted) brother Oates (Shadon Meredith) that he seems to be getting involved with a cult, he doesn’t spend much time reflecting on what his psychic coach, Lyra (Florence Noble), might want out of this for herself.

Pulling off this kind of storytelling is a lot harder than it looks. Made anywhere else in the world (except possibly Canada), The Paragon would probably be a dismal failure, but there’s something about the New Zealand/Aotearoa sense of humour that makes it work. Deadpan delivery combined with a well observed and surprisingly coherent plot keep it on the rails, and although all its major characters display unpleasant traits, it has a lot of heart. Dutch’s laziness and selfishness mostly come across as endearingly rubbish, and as he begins to develop not just psychic awareness but awareness of other people’s humanity, it’s clear that he’s on his way to becoming a happier person.

Whether or not he will live to enjoy the benefits of all this is called into question, however, but the arrival of Lyra’s scheming brother Haxan (Jonny Brugh), who is struggling with his sister for control of the titular time travel device, a McGuffin with the potential to grant ultimate power. Dutch doesn’t really care about all this but gets caught up in it anyway, and as he finds himself flipped between different timelines, he gains a clearer appreciation of what an impact small decisions can have.

With a well balanced cast who excel at keeping straight faces in the silliest of situations, this is a small film capable of generating some big laughs. It’s a great example of what smart filmmaking can achieve with minimal resources, and it’s easy to see how, on the festival circuit, it has managed to punch well above its weight.