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James Mottram

3.5/5 stars
Back in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival for the sixth time, writer-director James Gray returns to his roots with Paper Tiger.
The American filmmaker started his career with 1994’s Little Odessa, starring Tim Roth as a Russian-Jewish hitman operating in the Brighton Beach area of New York. His next two films, The Yards (2000) and We Own the Night (2007), kept him ensconced in the world of low-life criminals.
Paper Tiger also casts the Russian mob as the antagonists. Set in 1986 in Queens, New York, it stars Miles Teller and Adam Driver as the Pearl brothers, Irwin and Gary.
Irwin (Teller), an engineer, is married to Hester (Scarlett Johansson) and has two teenage sons: Scott (Gavin Goudey), who is about to turn 18, and the younger Ben (Roman Engel), who is diligently studying for his exams.

Gary (Driver), a former policeman who still has connections on the force, encourages Irwin to team up and create an environmental clean-up business involving the filthy Gowanus Canal.
Without Gary knowing, Irwin does a recce at night with his two boys in the back of the car. Within seconds, he is hounded by menacing, muscular Russians who “don’t give a s*** about laws or codes”. In a disturbing scene, two of them threaten Irwin’s boys with a knife to the face.
With the Russians dumping oil illegally into the Gowanus Canal, Irwin’s snooping puts him and his brother in the crosshairs of mob boss Simeon Bogoyavich (Victor Ptak), the head of a vast criminal network that spreads far beyond the United States.
Worse is to come, with a brilliantly orchestrated, creepy home-invasion scene that Gray crafts using shadows and sounds.
The contrast between Teller’s character – a loving if naive family man – and Driver’s cocksure former law enforcer, who still carries a gun in a holster strapped to his ankle, plays nicely.
“These people are a paper tiger,” Gary says, suggesting the Russians’ threat is all bravado and front. He even takes a belt to two of Bogoyavich’s men, whipping them brutally, with Driver looking as if he is auditioning for the upcoming Heat 2.

Less successful is Johansson’s role as the stay-at-home mum. Sporting a wig of tight blond curls, she has her own journey of terrifying discovery to make, which does not quite gel with the central story. Nevertheless, her performance is cast-iron, with one confrontation scene leaving its mark.
With Gray juggling a lot of balls here – home life, health, happiness – Paper Tiger is an absorbing, if not perfect, study of the dark side of the American dream.
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Film & TV

Director James Gray returns to his mob roots in this film about two brothers who fall foul of the Russian mafia in New York. Also stars Miles Teller


Director James Gray returns to his mob roots in this film about two brothers who fall foul of the Russian mafia in New York. Also stars Miles Teller.


European cinema

Film reviews

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Cannes Film Festival

Scarlett Johansson

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Director James Gray returns to his mob roots in this film about two brothers who fall foul of the Russian mafia in New York. Also stars Miles Teller

Director James Gray returns to his mob roots in this film about two brothers who fall foul of the Russian mafia in New York. Also stars Miles Teller