For decades, the art instructional public TV programs of soft-spoken, puffy-permed painter Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) had made him a fixture across Vermont. When flagging ratings caused his bosses to cast their lot with up-and-coming artist Ambrosia Long (Ciara Renée), however, a spinning-out Carl finds himself questioning if he can get up off the canvas. Clever comedy also stars Michaela Watkins, Wendi McClendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Lusia Strus.
What We Thought:
Paint is an absolute head scratcher. It looks like it wants to be a Bob Ross bio-pic. It isn’t a laugh out loud comedy despite starring comedic actors like Owen Wilson, Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Michaela Watkins. It also looks like it could be a Christopher Guest inspired mockumentary. Yet it isn’t any of those things.
I genuinely have no idea who the film is for. People seeing Owen Wilson in a big afro will immediately think it’s going to be a hilarious film ala Wedding Crashers. Mix in the fact it’s about a soft spoken painter and you immediately think Bob Ross. But ultimately it’s none of that.
Yes it’s about a painter on public access, but he’s too racy to be Bob Ross. He has a local following, but his work seems to be phoned in more than inspired like years past. They bring in a younger painter to shake things up and he feels slighted. But it’s nowhere as interesting as any of that seems.
I was honestly baffled by it. I sat there wondering who will like it. I love the cast. I’m a big Stephen Root fan and even he can’t save it. Wendi McLendon-Covey is usually good for big, over-the-top laughs, but she’s stifled in this film that doesn’t know what it wants to be.
And what year is it supposed to be? Wilson drives an old van. They use VHS tapes for recording, but there are signs of newer technology as well. If you can’t tell I did not understand Paint in the slightest. I was hoping it would be a surprise gem because just look at that cover art, but the film is too confusing to even recommend to Owen Wilson fans. It did absolutely nothing at the box office for a reason, it’s not very good and I’m disappointed about that.
The Nerds Templar 