Director James Gray debuted his crime thriller Paper Tiger at the North American premiere during the New York Film Festival, presenting a semi-fictionalized 1980s Queens story that explores family dynamics and mob entanglement. Neon scheduled the film for a select U.S. theatrical release on November 13, followed by a wider rollout on November 20.
Queens Mob Entanglement Hits New York Film Festival
Driver, Teller, and Johansson Lead Irwin Family Saga
Paper Tiger follows a Queens family in the 1980s whose lives collide with the Russian mob. The trouble starts when older brother Gary, played by Adam Driver, pitches a moneymaking scheme to patriarch Irwin, portrayed by Miles Teller. Scarlett Johansson rounds out the core cast as wife Hester.
Stepping Away From Strict Biographical Fact
Coming after his semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama Armageddon Time, Gray noted that his latest project is not a sequel and departs from strict biographical facts. "This one is much different. And I didn’t think it was a sequel. I wanted to make something kind of a little bit… Hitchcockian. … Pulpier is the wrong word, but a little bit more dramatically intense."
Prioritizing Human Connection Over Pure Thrills
Beyond the genre thrills, Gray emphasized the emotional core of the narrative. But then in the end, dare I use the word catharsis, what connects us is what matters. It’s almost a cautionary tale."
Roman Engel Channels Personal Authenticity On Set
Roman Engel plays the youngest of Irwin’s two sons, serving as a stand-in for the director.
Embracing an Unresolved Final Act
The film concludes while Gary, Irwin, and Hester deal with separate personal issues before learning each other’s fates. Gray intentionally avoided a neat resolution during a post-screening Q&A at the festival on Friday night, explaining that he wants the narrative to persist beyond the credits.
"I love the idea that the life of the movie goes on past the movie," Gray said. "I love the open ending. I love the idea that the film exists past the boundaries of the screen and the time. … Usually, in a movie somebody has the whole story."
Worth a look