11 shorts featuring a few people getting together to talk over coffee and cigarettes.

CRITIQUE

It took Jim Jarmusch 17 years to compile the footage for this film and I feel he should have taken a few more years and tried to make the film look like something other than a glorified film school project. The 11 shorts are boring to watch (strange to think considering the talent he had assembled for the film) due to the fact that no one really talks about anything (the segment featuring Cate Blanchett as well as the final segment with Bill Rice and Taylor Mead are the only exceptions.)

Let’s break it down:

1. Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright: Two humorists with different styles. Both are uncomfortable with each other (Wright especially.) What should be the most humorous segment of the film is flat.  The fidgeting that Benigni and Wright do in trying to re-arrange their surroundings to feel more comfortable should have been a wonderful subtle comedic moment. It isn’t.

2. Joie Lee, Cinque Lee, and Steve Buscemi: Spike Lee’s twin siblings deal with an intrusive waiter who wants to sell them on going to Graceland.  A chance for some great social commentary about Elvis and his appropriation of other artist’s music, right? It’s there, but Buscemi (who is usually really good) comes off as “an actor” and not a character.

3. Iggy Pop and Tom Waits: Getting these two together should be fun by itself. Starts out promising with the fact that they have a smoke to celebrate that they have quit smoking, then falls into boring awkwardness.  If the awkwardness was handled better, maybe it would have worked.

4. Vinny Vella, Vinny Vella Jr. and Joe Rigano: Vinny Vella and Joe Rigano talk about how cigarettes and coffee are terrible meal by themselves and should be saved as an after meal treat, all while silent Vella Jr. comes in and begs for money. Pointless and meandering.

5. Renee French and E. J. Rodriguez: Renee French is constantly bothered by waiter Rodriguez, who really wants to fill up her coffee and apologize.  This plays like a weak SNL sketch

6. Alex Descas and Isaach De Bankole: The two pretty much ask each other if they are okay. A segment that could’ve been funny, had the direction been better.

7. Cate Blanchett: Playing herself and her jealous cousin Shelby.  This segment is very well acted, however is marred by the laziness of direction.

8. Meg White and Jack White: The White Stripes sibs play with a Tesla coil. An unfunny waste of time.

9. Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan: What should have been one of the better segments, talking about Hollywood politics and relationships (both in film and in real life) ends up being nothing more than a ramble session.

10. GZA, RZA, and Bill Murray: Two members of the Wu-Tang Clan take a break and talk about alternative medicine with Bill Murray. A well written segment sadly fails because GZA and RZA can’t really act. This could have worked really well too.

11. Bill Rice and Taylor Mead: Two men in the twilight of their lives talk about life.  It’s a beautiful and dark segment.  A good end to a movie (sadly it’s been wasted on this one.)

Had this film been a pilot for a television show, it’s possible I could cut it some slack.  Had these segments been produced for a half hour TV show, it’s possible that they could’ve been wonderful. But they’re not. This is a film, and as a film this is a waste.

THE VIDEO

The transfer is pretty good, there is very little noticeable grain.

THE AUDIO

The sound mix is presented in 5.1 surround, but doesn’t really give the feel that these characters are actually inside a coffee house.  The dialogue is clear and is never lost under the ambience.  It’s an okay mix, just not successful.

THE EXTRAS

Tabletops: All the tabletop shots in the film edited together and put to music.  If staring at hands moving coffee cups around is your cup of tea, check it out.

Bill Murray Outtake:  An alternate take of the end to the RZA, GZA, and Bill Murray conversation.

Interview with Taylor Mead: An interview about the film. I wonder why just Mead?

FINAL THOUGHTS

Boring and pretentious art house fluff.  I can see how Coffee and Cigarettes could have some appeal to the indie avant-garde audience, but to anyone outside of that, the film is worthless.