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Dom Robinson reviews
Momentum Pictures
- Cert:
- Cat.no: MP501D
- Running time: 101 minutes
- Year: 2005
- Pressing: 2006
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 20 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Girls on the Bus, Broken Flowers: Start to Finish, Farmhouse, Trailers, Soundtrack information
Director:
- Jim Jarmusch
(Broken Flowers, Coffee and Cigarettes, Dead Man, Down By Law, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Mystery Train, Night on Earth, Permanent Vacation, Stranger Than Paradise, Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet, Year of the Horse)
Producers:
- Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith
Screenplay:
- Jim Jarmusch
Music:
- Mulatu Astatke
Cast:
- Don Johnston: Bill Murray
Sherry: Julie Delpy
Winston: Jeffrey Wright
Laura: Sharon Stone
Lolita: Alexis Dziena
Dora: Frances Conroy
Ron: Christopher McDonald
Carmen: Jessica Lange
Penny: Tilda Swinton
Sun Green: Pell James
The Kid: Mark Webber
Kid in Car: Homer Murray
Broken Flowerscomes a mere two years after Bill Murray managed to turn in a fantastic performance inLost in Translationby just simply walking into shot, doing what came naturally to him as per the instructions inthe script and hitting the mark spot-on. It takes great talent to make it look so effortless.So when this latest film was released, after the triumphant excellence Murray brought to Wes Anderson’s2004 cult hitThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,could he make it three solid performances in a row? Reviews I’d read suggested he couldn’t.
The film starts as a letter in a pink envelope is seen to be posted from an unknown location. Thereare no clues as to who might have sent it, but as the opening credits roll we cleverly see thisunique (amongst the collection of pedestrian white-enveloped mail) item take a trip through the USpostal system, to the strains of There Is An End by The Greenhorses with Holly Golightly,until, finally, it lands on the mat of a reclusive man in his 50s. That man is Don Johnston (Murray)and you’d think he’d be quite happy given his spacious and luxurious house, having made a fortunein computers, but no. We first see him sat in front of the TV looked very dejected.
We soon learn that the reason for his is that his latest girlfriend, Sherry (Julie Delpy), isleaving and walking out of his life, and house, for good. She spots the pink envelope and assumes it’sa letter from another of his girlfriends despite his limp protestations. When he finally gets roundto opening it, it’s not signed, has no return address and just tells this child-free bachelor thathe has a 19-year-old son from a previous relationship and that this young man has gone AWOL with thepossible intention of tracking him down.
Don and Winston set about tracking down the women.
Don’s best… well, only friend is his next door neighbour Winston (Jeffrey Wright), whoholds down three jobs in a bid to maintain his large family, but still takes plenty of time toassist Don in tracking down any of his old flames who may have sent this letter with a detaileditinerary, maps aplenty and a CD of Winston’s favourite Ethiopian jazz. This is somethingthat doesn’t interest Don at first because he’s quite happy in his own quiet, but empty, existence- and it’s one that, apart from a large plasma TV, is technologically-free despite the fact he madehis money in computers but doesn’t have one at home. Also, he didn’t part with all of the women onparticularly good terms.
However, curiosity gets the better of him and in order to find out who wrote to him he takes carsand planes, staying in dodgy motels along the way, and catches up with “closet organiser” LauraMiller (Sharon Stone acting far better than the clips I’ve seen for Basic Instinct 2)after meeting her rather forthright daughter Lolita (Alexis Dziena), then moves on to DoraAnderson (Frances Conroy, last seen as harrassed matriach Ruth Fisher in Six Feet Under)and is introduced to her husband Ron (Christopher McDonald), both of whom are now in real estate.Other past loves include “animal communicator” Carmen (Jessica Lange) – their meeting occasionallyinterrupted by her assistant played by Chloë Sevigny, looking a damn sight nicer than her gawkyappearance in 1995’s Kids– and farm-owner Penny (Tilda Swinton).
Of course to go into detail about how each encounter pans out or to speculate on the ending would be torob you of what, for me, turned out to be strangely encapsulating – just like Lost in Translationand in almost as compelling a style. This really is yet another brilliant understated performance from Murray,whose character was summed up early on by Sherry when she called him an “over the hill Don Juan”.
And yes, his character’s name often attracts giggles as people mistake him for saying his name as”Don Johnson”, he of Miami Vice fame and singer of a rather excellent album in 1986 calledHeartbeat.
Broken Flowers is a must-see for any fans of the aforementioned collaboration with ScarlettJohannson. At first you might think you’re not enjoying it as much, but in the same way you’ll find itsucks you in without you realising. Very clever stuff from writer/director Jim Jarmusch who reportedlywrote the role specifically for the ex-Ghostbuster.
Life takes another unexpected turn for Don Johnston.
The film is presented in its original cinematic ratio of 1.85:1 and isanamorphic. There’s nothing to spoil the sumptuous visuals as Don takes a trip around New Yorkand New Jersey, nor even the basic indoor shots. There’s nothing that particularly stands outbecause that kind of thing would usually be relegated to an action blockbuster, so just relaxto and see where the character’s destiny takes him.
Only a Dolby Digital 5.1 and, like Lost in Translation,this is a drama that doesn’t have whizz-bang special FX running about, but still managesto attain the perfect ambience with music and slow moments blended together nicely.
Getting thumped in the face certainly wasn’t on the agenda.
The extras are few and are as follows:
- Girls on the Bus (1:39): We learn early on from the clapperboard brought into shot during these extras that the movie wasoriginally called Dead Flowers. That said, this is a brief example of some of the takes of twogirls on a bus on which Bill Murray travels at one point in his journey. They babble on at speed aboutnot much in particular. This and the next segment are in 16:9 letterbox.
- Broken Flowers: Start to Finish (7:37): The movie from start to finish in terms of seeing the clapperboard actioned for every single scene,with a few outtakes along the way.
- Farmhouse (4:12): Jarmusch’s voice is heard as if speaking over a phone line as random footage of on location filming atthe farmhouse is displayed. Presented in 4:3 fullscreen.
- Trailers: Firstly, the US trailer (2:00) which gives away the whole plot, so don’t watch it before the film!This is followed by the International trailer (1:20). Both are in 16:9 letterbox and the latter soundslike the music is being played in a different key.
- Soundtrack information: A largely irrelevant static screen telling you that… a soundtrack CD is available. It’s not as if youcan click on anything to play it.
The only subtitles come in English, there are 20 chapters to the movie and the main menu is staticwith a piece of the Ethiopian jazz often used in the movie.
Overall, it’s a great movie that looks great, but if you’re only going to watch it once, make it a rental.
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SOUND QUALITY
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OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.