Coffee and Cigarettes

Kahvia ja tupakkaa / Kaffe och cigaretter. US (c) 2003 Smokescreen, Inc. D+SC: Jim Jarmusch. DP (b&w): Tom DiCillo, Frederick Elmes, Ellen Kuras, Robby Müller. M: "Louie Louie" perf. by (1) Richard Berry & The Pharaohs (2) Tom Waits. "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" (Gustav Mahler) perf. by Janet Baker. Starring Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright, Joie Lee, Cinqué Lee, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Isaach De Bankolé, Cate Blanchett, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, GZA, RZA, Bill Murray, William Rice, Taylor Mead. 93 min. Released by Cinema Mondo, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Mökkönen / Ditte Kronström. Viewed in Tennispalatsi 14, Helsinki, 24 Jan 2005. 11 vignettes, 17 years in the making, in the original minimalist Jarmusch style, and in his episodic style as in Night on Earth. There, the pretext was the taxi. Now, it's coffee and cigarettes. Seemingly a random collection, yet there are structures and themes. The vignettes are based on pairs, often opposites (Cate Blanchett's double role), there is the familiar Jarmusch comedy theme of the apparently cool meeting the apparently uncool, and there is his satirical motif of how fame can mess your personality. The audience obviously liked the film. ***