There could be
an entire sub-genre of movies involving senior citizens and marijuana, so I
initially thought I knew what to expect from another lighthearted comedy about
a struggling widow forced to put her homemaking skills to illegal use. I
anticipated another sweet protagonist such as the one in Saving Grace, but instead was shocked to find the title character
of Paulette to be a spiteful racist.
It is a bold decision which wears off in shock value as the narrative drives
this protagonist down a predictable character arc, so that the stakes must be
raised into a contrived climax. The overall outline of the film adheres
remarkably close to the structure of a Hollywood film, though its direct
approach to the discussion of racism that stands apart as something American
films are rarely brave enough to tackle.
