Night On Earth Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

A mesmerising cinematic masterpiece

Somehow it seems that Jim Jarmush tried to make life difficult for himself when he created this unusual film. Five Taxis in five different cities during a single night are the background for five very different short films. Yet despite having to draw the viewer in each time I was literally glued to screen from the very first minute in every single episode. Each of these could have been a prize winner in the short film category of any film festival in the world but it is the combination that makes this film so special. I will not tell you any of the storylines as it would spoil the viewing experience but the line-up of great actors from around the world is already impressive: Winona Ryder, Gena Rowlands, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Beatrice Dalle, Roberto Benigni etc. Add to this a cool Tom Waits soundtrack that captures the essence of the movie and you will understand why this is a winner.

My only criticism is the actual DVD as it contains no extras whatsoever. The film is so outstanding that I would have liked a little more background information but apart from 'Play Movie' and 'Scene Selection' there is nothing else on this DVD. What a pity!

Summary: Great film, great acting, excellent storylines and a cool soundtrack - You won't regret watching this one!

A little patchy, but when it's good it's very very good.

Jim Jarmusch has a thing about episodic movies, which is a shame, as his best work (Dead Man, Down By Law) tends not to fit under this category (OK, you could argue that Mystery Train is episodic and one of his best, but there is some crossover in the storylines). However, at worst the effect is that if you don't get it, there'll be another one along in a minute - and so it is, fittingly, with Night On Earth: Five taxi cab rides all occuring simultaneously in LA, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.

Winona Rider's opening section is probably the film's weakest- charming, quirky, but somewhat one-dimensional. Thankfully, the movie picks up in New York as a guy from the bad side of town hops in the cab of a hilariously incompetent clown-turned-cab driver: this is Night on Earth at its best, a feelgood, rambling little story that gets to you without laying on the schmaltz.

The tale in Paris, concerned with a blind woman passenger and an overworked downtrodden driver is at once the movie's most beguiling and frustrating point: Jarmusch is hinting at something but being just a little too subtle for his own good. The Rome episode is a treat for lovers of Roberto Begnini, and a chore for his detractors. Simple as. And the Helsinki section is thoroughly miserable, but touching. It occurs to me that the way I've written this review is somewhat indicative of the film's biggest flaw- by so starkly seperating the narratives, it is hard to consider the film as a whole and see the bigger picture. But you kind of get the impression that there might not be one anyway.