Paris, Texas (1984)

This movie didn’t click with me. I can see why it gets high praise. It’s incredibly shot; the desert and sunsets look incredible. The one-way mirror is a great concept, and all those scenes are creatively shot. The story progresses well; it hid enough to keep me invested without dragging on. But the ending didn’t resonate with me. The movie is mostly a build-up to find out what happened to make Travis wander off. When it’s finally revealed, I didn’t connect with it at all. It reminded me of Buffalo ’66 (1998) and not just because Jane and Layla bear a striking resemblance. I think both of these movies portray a type of relationship that I (thankfully) don’t have personal experience with. Both of them left me feeling like these men suck, and I don’t understand what these girls are doing putting up with them. I could totally see this movie growing on me in the years to come. However, on my first watch, I appreciated it, but I didn’t feel it.