Paper Tiger

Engineer and family man Irwin (Miles Teller) seems to have it all: two loving sons and wife Linda (Scarlett Johansson), and a suburban home in 1980s New York. But in Irwin’s eyes, his brother Gary (Adam Driver) has it even better – the ex-cop is raking in money with a business that operates in the grey areas of the law. With his sons’ college tuition looming on the horizon, Gary’s offer to bring Irwin into the business of redeveloping New York’s canal district seems like an opportunity too good to pass up. While his brother paints a picture of the area being developed and transformed, the potential clients don’t exactly seem to have clean hands. Before long, Irwin realises he has become deeply entangled in the criminal operations of the Russian mob – and has dragged his family into a dangerous game.

James Gray is known for his films steeped in the traditions of classic Hollywood (including Ad Astra and Little Odessa, R&A 1995). In Paper Tiger, he turns his attention to the American Dream and the underworld of 1980s New York, delivering a taut thriller that gradually develops into a moving portrait of a family struggling to stay together in the face of adversity. The film is anchored by strong performances from its star-studded cast.

A favorite of the French film world, Gray premiered the film in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival this spring.

Inari Ylinen