Broken Flowers is a story about Don Johnston (Bill Murray) a Don Juan has-been who goes on a trip visiting past girlfriends in order to collect clues and solve the mystery of his alleged son. After his current lover leaves him, Don recieves a letter notifying him of his 19 year old son. With no signature and return address, Don seeks the help of his friend and neighbor Winston (Jeffrey Wright) a freelance P.I. At each visit Don finds himself in uncomfortable situations -and I would to visiting my past girlfriends- and although he would like to call the whole thing off, Winston continues to motivate Don’s investigation. He looks for clues around each house, piecing together the possible sender of the letter and Mother of his son. As the film progresses you can see how the attitude of this over the hill bachelor changes, and his regrets of not having a family begin to show.
There were a number of funny moments in the film, for example, when Don visits Laura (Sharon Stone) he is greated by her young and attractive daughter Lolita. Sitting in the living room waiting for Laura to come home, Lolita comes out to get her phone completely nude -you have to love beaver shots in movies- creating the uncomfortable moment for this visit. Throughout the visit with Laura, Lolita continues to show up in her bra and panties completly distracting Don from what he is trying to accomplish.
[Find out what you should do after the jump.]
A comforting aspect is that at each visit there is a familiar face. Christopher McDonald (Shooter) plays Ron, the husband of another X, Jessica Lange and Chloë Sevigny are totaly lesbians in their scene. Finally Chris Bauer from the Wire, makes Don very uncomfortable durring his last visit.
The movie starts off slow and there is to many scenes with Don looking out windows or at womens legs. The dialogue was lacking, especially between Don and Winston. I just didn’t feel there was good chemisty between Murray and Wright. I felt that Jarmusch was trying to recreate a Lost in Translation feel and ended up placing to much down time in the movie. It’s evident that Don still has the spirit of a ladies man in him, but he’s just to old and tired to try any longer. Jarmusch filmed to many scenes focusing in on that instead of giving the audience what they truly want to see – which is Murray in these uncomfortable situations.
You feel uncomfortable with Don during his visits -or maybe that was just because I saw it in an old indie theater with small seats and I had to keep shifting my position- and thinking “I would never do something like that, I don’t ever want to have to track down my X’s”.
All in all it was enjoyable. I wouldn’t recommend rushing out to see this in in the theater, you would be better off renting it on DVD so you could watch it in you favorite comfy chair.
Bill Murray does continue to show his acting chops and setting himself apart from his fellow SNL alumnists.
What should you do: Wait for the DVD.
I have to say I found Broken Flowers boring. It went nowhere. I don’t mind films that don’t have a true storyline as long as what is happening on the screen is interesting and quite honeltly apart from the Lolita scene nothing interesting happened on the screen. The end just frustrated me even more so by the time I left I was quite fed up overall, one of those films which one doesn’t absolutely hate, but you’d have preferred to spend the evening at home in front of the T.V flicking the channels.
The film is near-pure genius. The Lolita scene alone was worth the price of admission. Murray continues to show that he deserves to be considered a legendary actor. This is a must see film, not a wait for the DVD flick.
I’m glad to see a review of this movie here, thanks! The Lolita scene was hilarious.
That said, I have some comments :)
I think you’re off on Don’s relationship with Winston. I thought they worked really well toghether. The film did a great job of showing us that while Don, on the surface, seemed put off by and uninterested in Winston’s meddling he ultimately was very attached to Winston. The relationship was expressed in moments like this: while at the coffee shop Winston goes to pay the bill by putting money down and leaving. Yet Don instinctivly picks up the money and hands it back to Winston who promptly puts it back in his pocket. Its a little moment that tells us a lot about the two of them. This is a routine that has obviously been repeated over and over with them so as to become routine in their life. So, I don’t think the lack of dialouge was dead weight, in fact I think it established a lot.
I can see why one might like more awkwardness and less building of Don’s ex Don Juan persona, but I think that would have pushed the movie more towards a comedy of the Meet the parents sort which I don’t think it was aiming to do.
I say go see it. You won’t have to pay 10 bucks anyway as I doubt its playing at any large theatres anyway (if it is just go to the budget cinema…)
cheers
dave