The Paperboy - C

Rated R, 101 minutes 

Steamy but muddled “The Paperboy” falls flat

Nicole Kidman

“The Paperboy” is the new drama from acclaimed director Lee Daniels (“Precious”) and starring Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in a sexually charged story set in the 1960’s South. It's a sluggish, hot mess of a movie but Kidman, in full “Barbarella” sex kitten mode, is a standout in a strong performance in an otherwise meandering, unfocused film. McConaughey (having a great year) is an investigative reporter named Ward in 1960’s South Florida chasing a sensational story that could amp up his career. Along with Ward’s younger brother (Efron) and a sultry death-row groupie Charlotte (Kidman), he attempts to prove that a violent swamp-dweller (John Cusack) was framed for a murder of a local sheriff. “The Paperboy” is a steamy, well-acted but vapid drama filled with sexual tension and pretty people sweating up a storm, but a script and plot as muddled as those Florida swamps. Though it evokes the '60's South well, “ The Paperboy” has more subplots, secrets and lies than an old episode of “As the World Turns" and is an intriguing and unfortunate mess for such a talented director as Daniels, whose faulty direction can’t hold the film together, and a talented cast. The always bland but handsome Efron seems out of his element next to McConaughey, Cusack and especially Kidman, who chomps on scenery and more here. She's both funny and sexy in a performance that highlights an otherwise lackluster, slow film (not to mention a couple of graphic scenes likely to stir controversy). Singer Macy Gray, who also narrates the film, is also strong in a flashy supporting part. Though "The Paperboy" emotes plenty of steam, particularly from Kidman, it comes across as a smutty soap opera about as satisfying as a ball of sweat.  

Wes’s Grade: C