As someone who felt helpless standing by while a loved one bravely fought (and beat) cancer, I must confess, Paddleton affected me in a major way. It captured the feeling of being along for the ride while someone close to you is in the grips of a deadly disease. There’s literally nothing that you can do or say that will make things any better, so you’re best to face it with a sense of humor and by showing your loved one how much you care.
Although the film is about a friend (Ray Romano) helping his cancer-stricken pal (Mark Duplass) commit legal pharmaceutical suicide, it manages to be a very funny flick. It’s essentially a road trip movie as the two friends head out on the road to obtain the drugs that will end his (eventual) suffering. In the meantime, they do a little living along the way (though realistically, not much). No one crosses anything off their bucket list or anything like that, but they do have a few experiences that bring the duo closer together.
The performances by Ray Romano and Mark Duplass are equally great. From their awkward exchanges with other people, you get a sense the only person they will ever be able to relate to is each other. I especially liked the fact that they spent so much time together watching Kung Fu movies (make that one specific Kung Fu movie). In fact, they are so much alike in their own idiosyncrasies that many people assume they’re a couple.
Paddleton ranks right up there with Manchester by the Sea as one of the best depressing comedies in recent memory. Even though the subject matter is bleak, the performances are funny and the laughs are hearty. Some will likely be turned off by the subject matter, but I say if you can’t laugh in the face of death, you might as well give up completely.
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