‘Towns’ is modest, middle-of-the-road teen drama

The adaptation of John Greens story attempts to broaden its scope by using this as a metaphor for the people living in the suburban (and fictional) Jefferson Park within Orlando, Florida. She is bold, curious, adventurous, and free-spirited – everything Quentin is not.

The enigmatic Margo enlists a reluctant but smitten Quentin in a night of mildly naughty pranks incited by her cheating boyfriend (Griffin Freeman).

With the help of his two best buds, Radar and Ben, and Margo’s ex-BFF, Lacey, Quentin is determined to track Margo down, following a trail of clues she’s left behind. Quentin turned her down, and thus two roads diverged. Much like that slice of terminal-disease romance, you might well expect that Paper Towns operates at the usual shrill-emo pitch, once restricted to post-adolescence but now characteristic of an entire Bush 43/Obama generation (I won’t use the M-word).

With the police looking for her and nobody knowing where she has gone, Quentin becomes intent on finding Margo. Completely. She doesn’t show up at school for days, she’s left home. Now as prom looms, Quentin goes on the adventure of his life in search of the woman he thinks he loves.

Rating: PG-13 for some language, drinking, sexuality and partial nudity, all involving teens.

Keeping, for the most part, consistent with every chapter of the book, devout fans will most likely be satisfied after watching the film.

To find her, Q looks for the kind of clues she always leaves behind. We’d just rather watch these kids hang out.

The winning Wolff has a young Dustin Hoffman quality, with just the right mix of dorkiness and exasperation.

As the movie started, I didn’t really find myself identifying with Quentin and his friends.

“Paper Towns” is the movie that casts the 22-year-old model-actress as a leading lad. Nearly everyone in the film, no matter how small their role is, has a moment to shine.

Starring Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne. Austin Abrams also stands out as Ben, the stereotypical funny/crude friend. Radar’s girlfriend (Jaz Sinclair) ends up in the vehicle, too.

“I work actually onerous, …”

There’s laughter, good music, hooking up (Ben has long pined for Lacey) and, eventually, the realisation that this trip is altogether ludicrous. The soundtrack includes songs by Haim, Vance Joy, Sam Bruno, Vampire Weekend, and many more. “Paper towns? Come on”.

It’s nice to see a more relaxed and grounded Delevingne finally using her Instagram powers for good. So take that as you will. Wolff possesses a soulful, expressive quietude that fits Quentin’s careful, observant nature, while the raspy-voiced Delevingne banishes all doubt whether, when Margo goes on the lam, she’ll land anywhere but on a flashbulb-bathed Manhattan catwalk. “She’s fearless and I’m pretty fearless too”. (He now lives in Indianapolis.) “I grew up there, so it’s a place I know well….” Hollywood doesn’t realize what they have in Neustadter and Weber, while awards season voters have so far snubbed them multiple times. And once we find out what happened to Margo – suffice to say it feels right. And you can’t get upset when they don’t fulfill your own cool girl construct. The whole school is obsessed with Margo, but none more so than Q.

“I basically gave up on acting, because trying to get an agent was impossible”. So it’s different, but not different enough to make you mad.

Mayor Teresa Jacobs has proclaimed that Friday will be “John Green Day”.

Exhausted of seeing straight-up adults play teenagers?