About Paul Gordon
Paul wrote, directed, and starred in The Happy Poet, which premiered internationally at the Venice Film Festival and in the U.S. at South by Southwest. It screened at festivals around the world, winning jury and audience awards, and streamed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.Paul has since acted in festival favorites such as Mr. Roosevelt (Dir. Noel Wells; Netflix), Dr. Brinks and Dr. Brinks (Dir. Josh Crockett; Amazon Prime), Savasana (Dir. Brandon Daley, Vimeo Staff Pick), Thunder P. (Dir. Steve Collins; Funny or Die), I Need a Hug (Dir. Steve Collins; Vimeo Staff Pick).Reviews for The Happy Poet:"My favorite movie so far at this year's SXSW is a little comedy, at once wistful and wonderfully dry-witted, called The Happy Poet. ... damned if my heart didn't swell during the film's great climax to say nothing of the last shot that left me touched to the point of tears. Austin filmmaker Paul Gordon, who wrote, directed, edited and starred in the movie ought to be mighty pleased with himself." ~Karen Valby, Entertainment Weekly"A sweet, stealthy film about creating meaning in your life (and your work) in a relentlessly mercenary world. Off-handed and yet quite artfully observed, The Happy Poet's winsome deadpan offsets its skewering of class and sustainability issues, right through to a tricky ending that, like Bill himself, may not be what it seems." ~Michelle Orange, The Village Voice"In its laid-back tone, "The Happy Poet" is reminiscent of Richard Linklater's 1991 debut, "Slacker," another Austin-set indie comedy. Gordon's first post-film-school feature, however, is more assured, polished and ready for prime time." ~Michael O'Sullivan, The Washington Post"The poet wants to be happy but doesn't really know how to go about it. It's a pretty good joke, and Mr. Gordon tells it with enough discipline and invention to make a significant portion of the film funny in interesting, subversive ways. A promising debut." ~Mike Hale, The New York Times"This deadpan no-budget comedy, about a glumly idealistic man who decides to start a health-food stand and the complications that result, is a genuine under-the-radar gem-the kind of quietly charming, profound film that creeps up on you. It's also, as luck would have it, perfectly acted." ~New York Magazine"The Happy Poet, a deadpan charmer directed by Austin filmmaker Paul Gordon, moves along at the brisk pace of a light romantic comedy. ...Everything about The Happy Poet is cheerily conventional, save for Gordon's hilariously monotonous delivery, an ironic performance that incessantly contradicts the movie's title." ~Eric Kohn, IndieWIRE"...Even better, the film's dry sense of humor belies sincerity, rather than the kind of ironic detachment that seems to pop up frequently in independent films." ~Todd Gilchrist, Cinematical Reviews for Saturday Morning Mystery (Massacre):"There are also subtle performances that are sure to stand out, particularly by the monotone police officer (played by Paul Gordon) as he takes the team on a tour of the abandoned house, pointing out "We found a leg over here." as if he were reading instructions on how to program his television." -Ain't It Cool News"The entire cast does a great job throughout, but I did have an affinity for Paul Gordon's sheriff, because he's got that aloof, dry cadence to how he speaks that becomes that much better when he's giving you the lowdown on a haunted house's history. It's like, he doesn't really believe it, right? No? Then why does he suggest t...