Winner of the 2005 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the film tells the story of Don Johnston (Bill Murray), a man overflowing with wealth but void of emotion. On the day that his most recent girlfriend (Julie Delpy) has given up on him for good, he learns, through an anonymous letter, that he might be the father of a 19-.. Read more
| Starring | Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton |
|---|---|
| Director | Jim Jarmusch |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Winner of the 2005 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the film tells the story of Don Johnston (Bill Murray), a man overflowing with wealth but void of emotion. On the day that his most recent girlfriend (Julie Delpy) has given up on him for good, he learns, through an anonymous letter, that he might be the father of a 19-year-old boy. Spurned into action by his wannabe private eye neighbour, Winston (Jeffrey Wright), Don sets off on a personal journey to visit the former partners who may or may not have mothered his child. They include the flighty Laura (Sharon Stone), whose daughter Lolita (Alexis Dziena) certainly lives up to her name; the uptight Dora (Frances Conroy), who has settled into a sterile life with her chipper husband Ron (Christopher McDonald); the strangely distant Carmen (Jessica Lange), who makes a living as an Animal Communicator and, finally, Penny (Tilda Swinton), a hard-edged biker who is the least happiest to see Don. Each confrontation leaves Don feeling more lost than the last, spinning him into an even greater state of apathetic confusion.
| Starring | Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Brea Frazier, Jerry Fall |
|---|---|
| Director | Jim Jarmusch |
| Studio | MOMENTUM PICTURES |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 41 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 20 Mar 2006 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
With BROKEN FLOWERS, Jim Jarmusch's sly, touching new film, Bill Murray reaffirms his status as the quietest comic actor in movies today
BROKEN FLOWERS exudes some of the twinkle-eyed, deadpan humor from LOST IN TRANSLATION... FLOWERS is smartly observational
Bill Murray turns in another understated performance this time for Jim Jarmusch in Broken Flowers. Murray stars as the unfortunately named Don Johnston, a sort of latter day Don Juan whos comfortable life is turned slightly askew when he receives a letter informing him he has an eighteen year old son from a former conquest. As the letter is unsigned Don inflicts on himself an odyssey through the past to find the truth.
Broken Flowers has been described as Jarmuschs most commercial film yet. Though this is true, viewers may find the directors choice of long static shots and preference to leave major plot points unanswered slightly infuriating. Murry is superb as Don but one wonders how long this style of acting or non-acting can be stretched before audiences become indifferent.
As with previous Jarmusch features, it is the secondary characters that are most successful. Sharon Stones trailer trash mother accompanied by jailbait daughter Lolita is inspired and Jeffrey Wrights detective and Ethiopian jazz obsessed neighbour is a standout.
While intermittently amusing, Broken Flowers does not compare favourably with previous Murry films such as Rushmore and Lost in Translation but will not tarnish his recent movie-making renaissance.
I think Jarmusch decided to give us a glimpse of some interesting characters, humorous lines and, just to tease us even further, fabulous acting and then leave us to make up a story all by ourselves.
To create a film which is blatantly devoid of a plot or storyline is just not fair. Sure you can think ... well maybe this meant that and that meant this ... but that's just as boring as someone asking you to figure out their dream for them.
I was so disappointed at the end of this movie I shouted at my TV, something I haven't done since I saw Pearl Harbour.
Stars turned out this week for the premiere of a forthcoming comedy entitled 2 Days in Paris, which tells the story of a couple desperate to rekindle their romance in the European city. Both of the main characters, played by Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg, took to the red carpet in Los Angeles and celebrated the movie's debut, while cinema-lovers in the UK can see it from August 31st when it is released here. French actress Julie Delpy also directed 2 Days in Paris, following her work in films... Read more