Paterson (Adam Driver) is a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey. Every day, he follows a routine: he drives his route, he writes poetry in a notebook, he walks his dog, he drinks a beer at the local bar, and he goes home to his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani). While Paterson follows the same routine more or less daily, Laura’s plans are constantly changing as she dreams of new things to try. The one constant: they both love and support each other.
I was fortunate to watch Paterson some time before writing this small review, because it took some time to properly digest the film. There aren’t really any dramatic stakes at play in this film. It takes place over the course of a week, and while some deviations happen to distinguish one day from another, they aren’t in service of building to some sort of blowout. It’s basically just…life. And I think it’s important to understand that going in, at least to some degree, because it doesn’t really fit with what audiences are conditioned to expect from a film narrative, particularly a drama. Paterson is far more interested in the minutiae of everyday life, which is rather refreshing.
Outtakes Atlanta 