Paris, Texas is my first ever taste of acclaimed director Wim Wenders, and while the film isn't exactly sweet; it's certainly not bitter enough to steer itself away from the realms of the masterpiece. Paris, Texas is very much a character driven story and it follows the account of a man that wanders out of the hot desert sun with an acute case of amnesia. When his brother, Walt, finds him, he helps him to remember his life, and we then watch as our protagonist rekindles his former relationships first with son, and then with the mother of his child. Wim Wenders handles this story with the utmost skill, and it works thanks to the tentative way that he portrays the characters to the audience. Just like the town of it's title; Paris, Texas is basically a film about being lost. I (and I'm sure many other people) didn't even realise that there was a place called Paris in the middle of Texas, and this little place is symbolic of the substance that is at the core of this movie.
The film doesn't benefit from any big name actors, but the actors in the movie do give it their all and ensure that it doesn't fall down on the acting side. Harry Dean Stanton takes the lead role, and does a good job in, at first, portraying a man consumed with amnesia; and then consumed with the time he has lost. Nastassja Kinski is the only member of the cast that has a really notable list of film credits other than this movie, but ironically she has the least screen time of the five leads. Every minute she is on screen is a delight, however, and she lights up the screen with both of her talents; looks and acting ability. The young Hunter Carson gives a rare child performance; i.e. one that isn't incredibly annoying, but strangely he didn't appear in very many movies after this one. The climax to the tale is more than satisfying, and is easily one of the most haunting and potent I've ever seen in a film. Wenders shows his talent with both the execution and the implications of it, and it's a satisfying end to a very satisfying movie. Recommended.
The film doesn't benefit from any big name actors, but the actors in the movie do give it their all and ensure that it doesn't fall down on the acting side. Harry Dean Stanton takes the lead role, and does a good job in, at first, portraying a man consumed with amnesia; and then consumed with the time he has lost. Nastassja Kinski is the only member of the cast that has a really notable list of film credits other than this movie, but ironically she has the least screen time of the five leads. Every minute she is on screen is a delight, however, and she lights up the screen with both of her talents; looks and acting ability. The young Hunter Carson gives a rare child performance; i.e. one that isn't incredibly annoying, but strangely he didn't appear in very many movies after this one. The climax to the tale is more than satisfying, and is easily one of the most haunting and potent I've ever seen in a film. Wenders shows his talent with both the execution and the implications of it, and it's a satisfying end to a very satisfying movie. Recommended.