James Gray Explores Life's Unpredictable Turns in 'Paper Tiger'

James Gray's "Paper Tiger," set in 1986, examines how crime and illness disrupt the life of a Queens family. Miles Teller plays an unemployed engineer drawn into business with Russian importers by his ex-cop brother, portrayed by Adam Driver. Scarlett Johansson is the mother whose efforts to maintain family stability are undermined by a dire health diagnosis.

The film was initially conceived as a sequel to Gray's "Armageddon Time" with Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway, but evolved significantly. Gray aimed for a more operatic and spectacular style, moving away from the digital filming of his previous work, which he believes diminishes the intensity of performances.

Gray discusses the evolution of actors' performances and his own misperceptions, citing Robert Pattinson in "The Lost City of Z" and Mark Wahlberg as examples. He emphasizes the importance of portraying authentic interior struggles and moral complexities in cinema, noting that characters remain fundamentally unknowable, much like in "Citizen Kane."

The film's setting in Gowanus, Brooklyn, with its polluted canal, serves as a metaphor for the moral and ethical quagmire the characters face. Gray also draws parallels between ecological pollution and the corruption of the soul, referencing his childhood experiences with air pollution in Queens.

"Paper Tiger" is deeply autobiographical, reflecting Gray's own family experiences with crime and sudden, life-altering illness. He views these elements not as narrative devices but as direct expressions of his lived experiences, striving for honesty and directness in his cinematic approach.