The Paperboy 2012

Yes this is the movie that Nicole Kidman takes a leak on Zac Efron but she does it to save his life after he's been swimming and is attacked by Jellyfish. Oh boy this is one hot house of a movie, a nasty thriller with a big streak of side show horror thrown in or up as a side dish to go with the chicken wings and mashed potatoes. It's polluted plot (based on a novel by Peter Dexter) is confusing, messy, disturbing and violent and concerns a group of really screwed up people who live in some small racist shit hole of a town in Florida circa 1969. Told in flashback with narration by the former black housekeeper (wonderfully played by Macy Gray) of brothers Efron and Matthew McConaughey's tattered family that is led by their hollow and nasty father, who is the newspaper editor of the town's small paper. The mom is gone; she wisely skipped out years before. Efron who is lost and horny wanders through this bleached out sweltering landscape mostly in his jockey shorts, while brother McConaughey is in Miami working for The Miami Times and living a desperate sad and violent gay life. He returns to the town with his scars and his Black co-worker on the paper who is arrogant and sassy to investigate and write an article about the murder of a bigoted sheriff, and to try to get the accused killer off death row by proving that he didn't do it. Along for the ride is a terrific Nicole Kidman as a really sleazy baby doll who gets her kicks by writing love letters to prisoners and falling madly in love with them. Her latest prisoner of the month, her Mr. psycho killer of the moment is none other than the ready to be fried accused killer of the sheriff named (I kid you not) Hillary Van Wetter played by John Cusak in a horrifying performance and who gives Leatherface and Hannibal Lecter a run for their money. I was so stressed out watching this movie that at the end of it I had to literally force my curled up toes to straighten out, that's how tense I was. The film is full of jaw dropping moments including a sex scene in the prison visiting room between Kidman and Cusak who do it without touching and a vastly disturbing and violent sexual encounter between McConaughey and two black guys that he picks up in some juke joint dive. This is wild stuff, trashy, greasy, nasty and good to the last drop and definitely not for “The Help” crowd. Co-scripted by Peter Dexter and Lee Daniels who also directed. Daniels had a big success a few years back with “Precious” and looks to be a front runner for an Oscar this year for “The Butler.”