The Paperboy (2012)

Set in the late 60s in a small Florida parish, a reporter (Matthew McConaughey) returns to his hometown to gather information that might help free a convicted death row inmate (John Cusack). His kid brother (Zac Efron) tags along and falls in love with the older white trash convict groupie (Nicole Kidman) who's attached herself to the killer. I suppose you could call Lee Daniels first film after his Oscar winning PRECIOUS a coming of age story but trust me, you've never seen a coming of age story like this! While not as powerful as PRECIOUS, I'd venture to say it's a more daring film and yes, maybe even a better film. It's certainly one of the most brutally sexual and graphic (both hetero and homosexual) mainstream films I've seen. When's the last time you've seen a movie where the leading lady urinates on the leading man? Most of the film's reviews have used the word lurid and it's an apt description. It's a Southern Gothic hothouse of a film that Daniels almost pushes to the point of over the top melodrama but never crosses the line, even to its horror movie finale. Kidman gives the best performance by an actress I've seen this year that ranks with her work in DOGVILLE and BIRTH. I suspect this might be a polarizing film for many but I loved it. With Macy Gray, David Oyelowo, Scott Glenn and Nealla Gordon.