In Reel Time

Sarai:
This movie starts with an interesting premise, what happens when a former "ladies man" discovers through an unsigned letter that he has a son from a relationship 20 years ago? What follows is not so much about the discovery of the son, but more about the discovery of the man himself (Don Johnston), deftly played by an always funny Bill Murray.

The Journey this film takes us on is full of memorable, sometimes outlandish, characters that ultimately gives Don a better look at his own life. Murray's straight faced, understated humor is a perfect match for the film and works well. The story, however, is ultimately unsatisfying and in the end you're not as impressed by the journey because you actually wanted a decent ending to the movie. Sorry, you don't get one in this movie, you get a fade to black then credits.

The pacing of the film is rather slow and there are entire scenes that seem to have little to no point at all. For example, in one scene we are left staring at Bill Murray's back as he watches traffic for about 2 minutes. I found myself wondering if the director was doing these types of scenes to give people a chance to reflect on the characters or if we were supposed to be gleaning some insight from Murray's ass?
It's an interesting premise with some good acting, but overall it's an oddly put together journey that leaves you wondering why you spent your cash on this. Wait for video

Brandon:
The entire time I was watching this movie, I had a very rude old lady next to me commenting on how much she hated it. Apparently it escaped her that maybe some people DID enjoy the movie. But that’s the danger of something like this. Everyone was so enamored with Lost in Translation that they just assume Bill Murray’s next movie is going to be Lost in Translation. I think that’s funny, because truly great actors and directors will not do the same thing every time out, and that’s something American audiences have a hard time with.

Broken Flowers follows Don Johnston (Bill Murray) as he is attempting, rather half-heartedly, to track down an anonymous woman who may be the mother of a son, who may or may not exist. After being dumped by the latest in a long line of girlfriends, Johnston receives a mysterious, unsigned letter. His mystery-obsessed next door neighbor, Winston (a hilarious Jeffrey Wright), takes the case on and sends the reluctant Johnston across the country, trying to track down the women who fall into the general time period the son could have been born.

I don’t really love or hate the director Jim Jarmusch. I’ve seen a couple of his movies, and I’ve generally liked them, but this is easily the best I’ve seen. While the story still moves at a Jarmusch pace, it is never boring. The movie is constantly giving us new characters which we only see for a woefully short time, and new situations, which we keep hoping will clue us in a bit more. There is a mystery in the plot, but it’s not the mystery of the movie. It’s almost as if there are two movies going on, the one you think you’re watching, and the one that slowly bubbles up to the surface as the movie unfolds. This is one of the best written, most carefully thought-out movies I’ve seen in a long time (although, the movie I saw immediately before, The Island, was one of the laziest movies I’ve ever seen and maybe my brain was just excited to be used again).

And of course, there’s Bill Murray, who is proving himself to be one of the best actors out there. He may look like he’s repeating himself, but Don Johnston has none of the humor that Lost in Translation’s Bob Harris had, none of the ability to joke about the world around him. Johnston can barely even speak to anyone. The best and most touching scene is the one where he visits the grave of an ex. It’s quiet, with almost no dialogue, but Murray carries the scene so well you don’t even notice. It’s a great scene that shows as much about the character as it does about Murray’s ability.

I could go on a bit about the past girlfriends, but we can suffice it to say that each own is different and distinct in and of themselves. The actresses all do perfect jobs, and the differing reactions to seeing Johnston again is great. I particularly liked Sharon Stone and Frances Conroy. The two women they portrayed were as different as possible, but the conclusion reached by both was interesting. And they helped to delve into one of the unexplained mysteries of the film- why do Johnston’s relationships fall apart so easily? And why do women go for him in the first place? We see glimpses of the answer in the graveyard scene, and in a scene where Johnston buys flowers and half-heartedly flirts with the young cashier.

Many people will be upset with the ending, and the movie in general, but this is Jarmusch and answers will not come easily. Having seen and pondered on the movie, I feel like there is nothing in it that is out of place. There are still pieces I haven’t put together in my head, but part of the fun is dwelling on these moments, trying to figure out exactly what Jarmusch is saying and why it’s there. True, this isn’t a movie for everyone, with its slow pacing and sometimes painfully realistic situations (the awkwardness of a dinner with an ex and her husband is so piercing I found myself squirming in my seat). But those who can fall into its rhythm will find themselves very well rewarded.