Release
Date: August 5, 2005 (limited) Studio: Focus Features Director: Jim Jarmusch
Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch Starring: Bill Murray, Frances Conroy, Julie Delpy, Jessica Lange,
Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright Genre: Comedy MPAA Rating: R (for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use) Official Website:
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Plot Summary: In the new film from acclaimed
writer/director Jim Jarmusch, which won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes
International Film Festival, Bill Murray stars as Don Johnston. The resolutely
single Don has just been dumped by his latest lover, Sherry (Julie Delpy). Don
yet again resigns himself to being alone and left to his own devices. Instead,
he is compelled to reflect on his past when he receives by mail a mysterious
pink letter. It is from an anonymous former lover and informs him that he has a
19-year-old son who may now be looking for his father. Don is urged to
investigate this "mystery" by his closest friend and neighbor, Winston (Jeffrey
Wright), an amateur sleuth and family man. Hesitant to travel at all, Don
nonetheless embarks on a cross-country trek in search of clues from four former
flames (Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone, and Tilda Swinton).
Unannounced visits to each of these unique women hold new surprises for Don as
he haphazardly confronts both his past and, consequently, his present
Director Jim Jarmusch’s comedy Broken Flowers offers a vivid and
evocative portrait of social disconnection without pretence, a quality which
marked the former film.
Broken Flowers leaves its ideas with room to
bloom. It is funny and powerful. There’s no politics, no grand statement, no
posturing, this takes the perspective of observer and commentator, dealing with
relational issues spanning a generation and more.
Bill Murray plays the deadpan and emotionless Don Johnston (a name which does
not go unnoticed – remember Miami Vice?) whose girlfriend (Julie Delpy)
has recently left him because he can’t commit. His next door neighbour Winston
(Jeffrey Wright) amusingly sends him on an investigation to find out which of
his ex-girlfriends has sent him a letter with revealing information about the
past. Broken Flowers is part mock parody of film noir
and crime thriller, part mock road movie, while Bill Murray draws the viewer
into his character’s psychology and issues, ably supported by the characters he
meets on his episodic journey, who all offer strong and appealing performances,
in slow-moving scenes which don’t feel at all slow, the movie is too
interesting, humorous and curious for that.
We would love to know what you think, sound off on the
movie message boards and let us know how you liked the movie!
Release
Date: August 5, 2005 (limited)
- Words escape me ... ecstasy