“Paint” Review
Owen Wilson plays Carl Nargle, a Bob Ross-type painter, whose popularity is upended in “Paint.”
Bob Ross was definitely a popular figure during his lifetime when he hosted “The Joy of Painting” on PBS for 11 years before his death. However, the internet age has made him an icon thanks to all of his episodes being released onto YouTube by his estate. While Ross was an interesting guy, he was so nice and had so few problems that his life story wouldn’t make a compelling film. But Ross would make an interesting subject to satirize. This is what “Paint” tries to do and, while the humor and characters are entertaining, the overall film just doesn’t come together.
In Vermont, everyone tunes into the local PBS station to watch the amazing Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) paint beautiful trees and landscapes with his soothing voice and abundant perm. However, his art is beginning to feel a bit stale, ratings have stagnated and Carl’s ego is becoming annoying. Hoping to increase activity on the channel and promote some healthy competition, Katherine (Michaela Watkins), the chief programmer and Carl’s ex-girlfriend, decides to add another painting show hosted by a young artist named Ambrosia (Ciara Renée). When Ambrosia’s art and personality begin to eclipse Carl’s, he begins to lose his mind and begins to question his life choices.
Overall, the film has a picture in mind of a strong plot. While you feel the effort of the film’s writer/director Brit McAdams, the cast and crew, that picture never seems to materialize. The film feels like it’s trying to capture the energy and dry humor of Wes Anderson films or “Doctor Strangelove” by having crazy characters in a normal setting while saying outlandish dialogue with a straight face. However, only a few of these characters, Carl, Katherine and Ambrosia, seem to have that in mind. “Paint” feels overstuffed with too many supporting players who act too dry to be in this film. Instead, they feel like they should be writing cartoons for The New Yorker.
Owen Wilson’s performance is quite magnetic and deserves to be praised. Like Bob Ross, he keeps the soothing tone of voice which makes some of his more silly behavior all the more funny. You’re able to sympathize with his predicament as he feels spent and unhappy with his current position, but you’re also aware that he’s a bit of an egotist whose self-absorption makes the events of the film feel like karma. Nevertheless, you want him to find a more meaningful existence and I think a lot of that is due to Wilson’s natural charm that seems to follow him wherever he goes.
Ambrosia also makes for an interesting rival because she sees what Carl could be and transfers that onto the canvas. Her journey, in many ways, is similar to Carl’s but she also feels like she has even more to prove given her competition.
As for the humor, there were quite a few moments that made me laugh. “Paint” understands parody very well because it’s able to replicate the atmosphere of a Bob Ross program and then makes us think about what would happen if Bob Ross used his perm as a hairbrush during a fit of rage. It’s just a shame that the film’s story feels too lifeless to support this humor or the main performances.
If the concept of “Paint” sounds appealing, then it may work for you but I found the whole experience to be a collection of interesting scenarios that were bound by a tired telling of a familiar story. It has some good moments and beautiful art but it just wasn’t enough.
