It is a journey of deep friendship between two neighbors who are still fighting for their friendship. These things are turning into a completely undesirable turn when they both discover that he will be diagnosed with cancer, which may eliminate everything between them. The journey of friendship may turn into a real nightmare between them.
While "Paddleton" takes its time to get there, it ultimately reaches a deeply poignant conclusion. If you're patient enough, that alone could be worth the trip.
Previous writing-directing work by Duplass with his brother, Jay ("Jeff Who Lives at Home"), could be quietly devastating. "Paddleton" is mostly just quiet.
Whatever may feel annoying or disingenuous about Paddleton is trumped by the emotional honesty of its ending, and the remarkable tenderness of Romano's work.
On the whole, Paddleton isn't quite as strong as was Lehmann's relatively little-seen debut, Blue Jay, but it builds to a duet as harrowing and tender and moving as anyone could desire, or fear, or both.
It is a film that deserves to find an audience, for whilst it presents familiar narrative arches, it presents a refreshing, beautiful take on male relationships.
