Paper Moon

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, Paper Moon follows ’30s con man Moses Pray (Ryan O’Neal) as he reluctantly agrees to escort Tatum O’Neal’s Addie, who may or may not be his daughter, across state lines after her mother dies. Filmmaker Bogdanovich, working from Alvin Sargent’s screenplay, delivers a deliberately-paced drama armed with a raft of engrossing, enthralling elements that cumulatively ensure it grows more and more absorbing as it progresses, and although the picture’s authentic atmosphere and lush visuals remain a highlight, Paper Moon‘s most compelling attribute is the dynamic between the central characters and, especially, the absolutely stunning work of both Ryan and Tatum O’Neal – with the actors’ palpable chemistry together elevating even the most minor of interludes (ie their banter is, for the most part, completely impossible to resist). There’s little doubt, as well, that the movie’s episodic structure paves the way for an engaging midsection rife with memorable, entertaining sequences, including a fantastic digression involving a confrontation between Addie and her father’s potential love interest, Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn, in a scene-stealing performance), and it’s clear, certainly, that the note-perfect conclusion ensures that Paper Moon finishes on as appealing and positive a note as one could possibly envision – which does, in the end, cement its place as an above-average piece of work that stands as one of Bogdanovich’s most accomplished efforts.

***1/2 out of ****