Saturday, February 04, 2006
Broken Flowers (2005)
Director Jim Jarmusch has a cult following ever since his Coffee & Cigarettes shorts were released, and his popularity as an indie filmmaker has only increased with Dead Man, the wonderful Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and his latest, Broken Flowers. Considering Bill Murray’s recent works with Sophia Coppola and Wes Anderson have been incredible film experiences, Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers seemed like an obvious contender for dark comedy of the year. Unfortunately, this particular case of depressive over-the-hill Murray and enigmatic writer Jarmusch never reaches the beauty of Lost in Translation, nor the subtle humour of The Life Aquatic. Don Johnston (this being probably the most funny part of the film) receives an unsigned pink letter notifying him he has a son. An aging debonair, the realization soon comes that he had numerous lovers during the time in which the child could have been born. What follows is a roadtrip to visit four ex-lovers, all of them quirky and all of them unique.The concept is clever, and the casting is wonderful. Bill Murray once again perfects the depressed American man at this point becoming tiresome for a man of his talents. It takes his neighbour, Winston (Jeffrey Wright), a budding online detective to push him out to the door. The women of Don Johnston’s life are the main attraction in the film. Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, and Tilda Swinton each hold surprises for Johnston, who takes Winston’s advice and acts as a sleuth looking for clues to who may be the writer of his pink letter. Usually, episodic encounters such as those framed in Broken Flowers, especially considering the oddball nature of each woman, would spell success for a film of this type. More often than not, the encounters and fill-in driving portions will leave the viewer in a comatose state, likely coaxed by Murray’s tired eyes and emotionless self.
By the end of the film, Jim Jarmusch’s message is both cryptic and clear. Bill Murray, a man of advancing years, discovers something about himself, whilst discovering nothing. Unfortunately, what he discovers is something the viewer knows from the very beginning of the journey, and the lack of any major revelations make this an ultimately disappointing foray into Johnston’s life. Broken Flowers is still worth watching for both Jarmusch and Bill Murray fans; those coming to it without any expectations may find the roadtrip an interesting experience, but both these film talents have done better work in the past. By no means a bad movie, Broken Flowers does not live up to its high
concept. Newcomers to Jim Jarmusch may want to watch Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai or Dead Man for some examples of his better works. # posted by Andres Canella : 10:21 AM
