Paint Brushes A Fun, Familiar Character
Mostly hitting its marks, Paint is an homage to the late Bob Ross. Playing Bob is Owen Wilson. While his character is Carl Nargle, it's unmistakable that Bob Ross is being portrayed. Bob Ross, like Mr. Rogers, was a man that used his airtime to do more than entertain. He'd educate the audience, showing them how to paint beautiful canvasses step-by-step. The program is calming as Carl Nargle constructs it to be so. Carl's laid-back style makes him a hit among the public. People tell Carl that he's changed their lives. One person in particular who Carl touched becomes his obstacle.
Ambrosia Long (Ciara Renée) starts her own painting program on the same channel. Where Carl does the same picture all the time, Ambrosia paints all kinds of pictures doing what Carl does even better. Soon Carl begins to lose everyone and everything he has. Being non-competitive in nature hurts Carl's ability to thrive in a dog-eat-dog professional society when challenged. Where Ambrosia can paint portraits of people, Carl can only paint portraits of scenic, calming canvasses. Ambrosia is multitalented; she can paint just about anything, whereas Carl can only paint one thing. Even so, there's a beauty in Carl's work that brings people together, much like Bob Ross does to this day.
When watching Bob make a painting, his work has a soothing nature that's universally appealing. Unlike most television, there are no cops, criminals, superheroes, or villains. Painting is a relaxing, non-sensationalistic process to view on television that just about anyone can enjoy, whether they're fellow painters or not. Carl's show makes him a hit with the woman in his job. Most of which Carl has either slept or painted with.
After the film was screened, a fellow critic asked me if legally a studio could make a film based on someone else's likelihood without their permission. The question is a valid one. If it's a parody, then assumably, it's okay. That is if the filmmakers render a respectful portrait of the parodied person. Then again, I'm no lawyer, so I could be wrong. Bob Ross has been gone from us now for a long time. Somehow his program has exceeded beyond the small local television station it filmed in and resurrected its popularity through the iPhone generation of today. Bob Ross' iconography rests in his sereneness. He makes you feel safe and warm. It's just you, him, and a blank canvas to be painted. The setting feels so intimate it's no wonder why Carl is a hit with the opposite sex.
Paint is a comedy that works well as a parody since it has a good heart. The movie feels like a what-if in some multiverse where Bob Ross is named Carl Nargle and is still alive. The concept is funny, and the execution is quirky and sweet. However, something feels missing in Paint. The love for the character is present, yet the film can feel like a drag in certain portions where I'm looking more at my clock than the horizon Carl is painting. However, the slow pace is appropriate when telling a story about a Bob Ross-inspired figure since a fast pace isn't Bob (or Carl's) strong suit. What could be a more interesting movie about the real Bob Ross is left on the cutting room floor for something more quirky about a fake Bob left under a different name. Understandably, a movie about the real man could be boring or legally off-limits.
What is present is a movie with one of Owen Wilson's funnier performances in some time. First Loki, now Paint, Wilson is having a bit of a comeback, and it seems it couldn't have happened to a humbler guy. There's a sincereness in Wilson's unpretentiousness that resonates through his character. Never does Carl raise his voice, not even when driving his car. Instead of shouting out his window, Carl has a megaphone attached to his van so Carl can softly speak to other drivers. Beyond the novelty of the knockoff Bob Ross concept, Paint has enough of a rounded character to study to make its lead worth following.
Carl isn't a perfect guy. He's a womanizer who gets jealous of other people's talent. There's a narcissism in Carl's character that works for a parody about a famous man, more than the man himself. Paint has enough charm to get by for its under two-hour running time. Yet it's not rewatch-worthy. It's one of those quirky comedies you stumble across late at night. Paint isn't a gut-busting comedic hit, but it has enough chuckles and charm to get by.
