I'm not sure how hot this review was, but I haven't checked it over yet, so if it sucks, mercy please. BTW, I couldn't figure out a way to say that this film has one of the better uses of female frontal nudity in film history, so I'll just say it; this film has one of the better uses of female frontal nudity in film history.
Broken Flowers is an anomaly, a film that shows us it is going nowhere but that we then realize that nowhere is exactly where it needs to go. It moves at a leisurely pace, but it works, because the film’s middle-aged ladies man wouldn’t move any faster than he had to.
Bill Murray plays "aging Don Juan" Don Johnston, who spends most of his time watching TV. When his girlfriend leaves him, he is disappointed, but barely enough so to get off the couch. Shortly afterwards, he receives an anonymous letter claiming that he has a 19 year old son, an idea that finds little positive reception because he never wanted children. Don intends to remain blissfully ignorant to the truth of the letter, but a nosy Ethiopian neighbor (Jeffery Wright) plays on Don’s boredom to get him to search for the mother of the son he may or may not have.
Johnston travels to visit four different women that he slept with over 20 years ago. No back-stories are given, no flashbacks seen. Instead, Don simply shows up at their doors and tries to gauge their reactions. Most films would show more emotional or clear responses, but the women instead react as they likely would, which is to say they remember the past, and don’t need to spell it out.
Without proper casting, this script would have been destined to fail. Bill Murray delivers all the right notes, mostly through looks of gentle understanding that have become a specialty of his. At first we want to know what the hell has happened between him and his lost loves, but it becomes clear that expository monologues are not the point; shared history and self-examination are. What has happened has happened, nothing remaining other than memories and feelings.
Broken Flowers could be said to take Lost in Translation’s final unheard whisper and stretch the premise throughout an entire film. Jim Jarmusch has consistently made talking head films throughout his career (his last film, Coffee and Cigarettes, consisted of nothing but talking), which is well suited to him. His direction makes you think of a 10th grader who everyone thinks will become a famous director, but never improves his photography skills. However, Jarmusch’s writing skills are a rare kind, as he takes a wire thin plot and injects a semblance of cryptic meaning and melancholy indifference. That the film works, and works well, is a surprise and a treat.
3.5 out of 5
3 comments:
i noticed that you use a lot of be-verbs. that means that you suck at writing. i met you once and thought you were a douche. i hope you go blind from being so dumb.
good job, keep up the work on making thoughtful reviews. i'm sure it helps you get to know the industry better.
i think i will start the "did tony like that movie?" game pretty soon, once i get a list together of movies that would be difficult for you and dustin to guess.
Tony, I'm not sure a person on earth could ever score more than a 60% on a "Did Tony like that movie?" test, but I'd be thrilled to give it a shot.
Thank you for the comments. Seeing as my peers at UNI think a film review consists of a plot summary followed by 'It was good or bad', I take pride in writing some reviews that resemble professional style.
Let me know when you get that test ready T-Bone.
This was a very good review. Now I really want to see this movie.
Tony's comment was hilarious. "...a lot of be-verbs..."
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