Paul. Has it all.

A confession: I do not like ET. I realise it is seminal film for my generation (when I decide to side with the Xers), and a huge part of allowing sci-fi to leap from the fringe to the mainstream. I know it is meant to be this highly emotional and cathartic tale of coming of age and self sacrifice, a total tear jerker - but it leaves me dry. I just find it kind of slow and overly sentimental.

But that doesn't mean I don't love it when very smart, funny (and somehow quirkily sexy ) British boys make a filmic love letter to the movie, and the entire genre.

The poster. Classic over shot, under the UFO light.

 Paul is a fantastic film. The boys behind the script and in front of the camera, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, have been firm favourites of mine for... a decade? More? Pegg wrote Spaced, my televisual one true love. He and Frost starred there as best mates. They were best mates in the Pegg-penned Shaun of the Dead, the first zombie romantic comedy - or ZomRomCom (possibly the 2nd one being Zombieland). They became best mates in the Pegg-penned village cop - slash - slasher flick Hot Fuzz (note to self: rewatch this. Yarp.) And this real life friendship comes to life on screen again in the Pegg-Frost-penned Paul. They play geeks, on an exploration holiday of famous alien sighting sites in the USA, who happen upon Paul, the green, chain smoking, potty mouthed alien (voiced by Seth Rogen).



Check out the tshirts!!!! Pegg's Empire - a blatant homage. Wiig's Evolve This - you can't see the image of Jesus shooting Darwin in the face.

The three films are sometimes referred to as the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy (though Paul is sadly lacking in the waffle coned treat). All three are genre mash ups. Not in the pisstake Wayans  Bros kind of way, but more of a celebration, filled with inside references, allusions and in-jokes that will only be truly appreciated by officiandos of each genre (which is just a long way to say Geek.) And the love letter of Paul is addressed to many recipients. ET and its auter, Steven Spielberg. A few of his other films, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and quite a few of the Indiana Jones installments. All manner of sci-fi stuff - The X-Files, Alien, Men In Black... Geeks that are geekier than me (because yes, that is indeed possible) have made lists to catalogue all of the references and allusions.

One gets the impression that these characters are not an enormous stretch for Pegg and Frost. Friendship? Not much need for acting there. Geeks with an indepth knowledge of all things Star Wars and sci-fi novels? Not much research required. The affection they have for the material here is as palpable as their love for each other. All three of these films have the one common bromance - the love between two blokes, platonic and unconditional.

Paul, the character, sets the whole action in motion. Sets the uncertainty and jealousy off between "the writer Clive Gollings" (Frost) and Graeme Willy (Pegg). Propells them from meandering to a more purposeful mission. Changes the whole outlook and attitude of Creationist Fundamentalist (emphasis on the mental) Ruth (the ever fabulous Kristen Wiig), transforming her from a meek, Darwin-hating, devoted daughter to a swearing, toking, crotch grabbing (others' not hers) partner-in-hijinx love interest for Graeme. Her passage of learning to swear brought particular glee for me, especially the brand new term "dick milk." Paul's gestures and voice are pure Rogen. Disbelief is suspended perfectly, and the awareness of CGI nature of the character disperses, like his ever present ciggie smoke. He looks a little like an alienified Lebowski. All slacker boardies and thongs (I refuse to call them flip flops!)

Classic wind fan, back lit, confused expression sci fi shot

Most of the reviews I have read give it a solid 4 stars. And I think that is grand, particularly when David & Margaret can find a point of agreement. Even the usually uber-geeky Empire gave it four. But in my opinion this is too modest. I can see how some more adult type people than me may have a problem with the profanities. Or the drug use. And most certainly, the Christian type people may find the overt and blatant atheism fairly confronting (but I must admit I found it fairly refreshing - such obvious anti-religious film making has not been seen since The Golden Compass, and that was not done with much style at all - at least not with the same finesse as Pullman's brilliant His Dark Materials trilogy. But I digress. Again.)

With its inherent geekiness, its self referential pomo references and its science-over-God attitude, I reckon this is one of the best films I have seen in ages. Right after I saw it, I kind of got the feeling that I didn't want to consume any other culture for a little while. Kind of like the same sensation you get at the end of a delicious meal - you don't want to muddle the flavour with more food or wine or water, but savour the taste, and let it sit on your tongue a while longer.