James Gray returns with a powerful, heartfelt, and somber film, “Paper Tiger,” set in 1980s New York. The movie echoes the spirit of Elia Kazan, presenting a blue-collar tragedy of fraternal loyalty and betrayal. It explores the anxieties of men facing the fear of appearing weak and failing to protect their families.
The film features Gray’s signature color palette, a perpetual late-afternoon autumn with subdued ochres, reds, and browns. Classic Gray elements are present, including family supper scenes and the distinct Russian community in New York. The potent, tribal codes of the NYPD are also highlighted – a force that operates like a blend of the mob, a trade union, and a Masonic clan, with responsibilities and perks extending well beyond retirement.
Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller deliver strong, intelligent performances at the core of the film. Each character, in their own way, possesses a “Springsteenian hungry heart.” Teller portrays Irwin Pearl, a modest, working-class engineer from Queens who is successful in his trade but worried about funding his teenage sons’ college education. He is married to Hester, brought to life with direct authority by Johansson, who sports frizzy hair and glasses that give her a resemblance to one of the “Golden Girls.”