Coffee and
Cigarettes, directed and written by Jim Jarmusch (Ghost Dog:Way of the Samurai)
is essentially 13 vignettes having little to do with each other besides all
containing wordy wordy dialogue and bad habits.With a jittery, hepped up
Roberto Benigni to an amnesiac demented Bill Murray (with RZA and GZA) we are
treated to a peak inside the very wit and genius within our "everyday"
conversations held over the two delectable treats found within the title. Jarmusch makes excellent use of a ridiculously stellar cast by creating some of
the most unlikely pairs and allowing them to shoot off each other with what at
many times seems to be improvised bits.
What puts that grin on your face is the
way these characters have decided (or were ordered) to play "themselves". That
is either a stereotypical persona (moody gruff Tom Waits) or completely
contrived and quirky (a Steve Coogan obsessed Alfred Molina).However, as soon as
your attention overcomes the simple appearance of such icons, the film's obvious
flaws arise. I understand Jarmusch is a gifted screenwriter and in many ways has
truly captured the intricacies of such situations, but given the lack of visual
stimulation one becomes bored with the slow paced dialogue, uncomfortable
(although ironically realistic) silences. Cameras pause on full minded faces
contorted in thought as smoke curls to the ceiling.
Don't get me wrong, some of
the cinematography is quite interesting (a token over the table shot that
appears within every short) and contains some beautiful usage of shadows within
the monochrome structure. But with the simple locals (coffee shop, bars diners
etc.) gave way to repititious visuals, which made my eyes become bored before my
mind could agree. If your up for artsy, quaint black-and-white film, check it,
but it just left me craving a cigarette.
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Cast: Adam Trese (Frank), Andrew McCarthy (Josh), John Tuturro (Sal/Roberto), Michael Badalucco (Eugene), Aida Tuturro (Emily/Gina), Robert Vaughn (Nick), Hayley Mills (Terri), Mark Margolis (Abrams), Vincent Curatola (Dr. Platter)
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