Jim Jarmusch Is Kind of Lame
Just saw Broken Flowers. Unimpressed... It's about Bill Murray going back to talk to 4 women he was together with 20 years before. Interesting premise, but Jarmusch totally drops the ball. Basically, Murray just sits around at their houses and they have stilted uncomfortable conversation while something eccentric is happening in the background. It feels interesting, but unfortunately there is no content. I wanted to know what their relationship had been like, how they had changed, how his presence might change things. But it appears Jarmusch is much too indie to lower himself to coherent plots, character development, or interesting dialogue.
So I was disappointed. And when I though about it, every movie I've seen of his I didn't like that much. Stranger Than Paradise? Fell asleep. Ghost Dog? All I remember is Forest Whitaker on a balcony with pigeons listening to the Wu Tang Clan. Maybe I just haven't seen the right movies (I've had Dead Man recommended to me a million times), but at this point I'm writing him off.
posted by chuckdaddy2000 at 5:43 pm
8 Comments:
JJ should have been arrested for making "Coffee & Cigarettes." Worst movie EVER. There is a lot of genius in Mystery Train and Down By Law. And Night on Earth is such a great idea. While I didn't love Broken Flowers, it kept me entertained for 90 minutes.
I just saw Mystery Train again, didn't love it as much the second time, but still love it. I enjoyed Broken Flowers, but I love Mr. Murray. I don't usually go all feminazi on things, but all the women in the movie (except the everhot Julie Delpy)are just poorly written though well portrayed nutjobs. Maybe it is a commentary on Bill's poor taste in women, but come on...dog psychics, bikers, and sluts? oh my.
"just poorly written though well portrayed nutjobs" Yeah, that is another thing. The characters just seemed more ridiculous than realistic. Like, it would have been so much more interesting to have characters you could identify with. Instead it was almost like a David Lynch thing going on - weird just to be weird.
Mr. Chuckdaddy,
With all due respect to the Chuckster, I'm going to have to disagree here. I think that JJ is one of America's finest living directors and has made an excellent body of work. He's a true auteur who's style is burned into nearly every one of his creations (minus the Coffee movie, which wasn't really a movie). He was doing 'Indie' movies at a time when there really weren't these kinds of films to speak of.
Have you seen Mystery Train? You don't like Strager than Paradise? What about Permanent Vacation?
I could 'see' someone not liking Ghost Dog or Deadman very much, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess - I thought they were excellent. Sure, Broken Flowers wasn't a masterpiece, but it had some really great scenes that you don't see in commercial cinema (as well as some boring ones, admittedly). I'll keep watching his films as he churns them out (he's actually NOT all that prolific). Then again, the same could be said for the Wood-man as well (who's not exactly a current fave among the cine-set).
To each his own though....
When reading Miguelito's comments keep in mind that he's a fan of Miike. We watched Vistor Q last night which opened with an incest scene and included necrophilia and smearing organic kale on your body.
I admit, Visitor Q isn't for the novice movie goer such as yourself emho, but some day when you're ready to step up you'll appreciate Miike's excesses as a greater metaphor for our crumbling society and ultimate failure of the modern family.
Miguelito-
I agree that it is a good thing to have directors who push the envelope and are non-mainstream. But I think we have to be careful not to give "auteurs" bonus points just for the sake of them being unconventional.
Smeared organic kale and necrophilia on the other hand... A movie definitely gets extra credit for including that. Although I am curious EMHO, how did you know the kale was organic?
Obscure doesn't necessarily mean good or talented, MF. Some of us have grown out of the teenage mentality. Apparently you haven't.
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