BROKEN FLOWERS (2005)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Jim Jarmursch is the very definition of quirky and offbeat. Consider films like "Stranger than Paradise," "Mystery Train," "Down By Law," "Dead Man," and "Night on Earth." They are all films of people finding themselves in an existential world - loneliness pervades their existence. That is clearly felt in "Broken Flowers," which may very well be the definitive Jim Jarmusch film. It is a heartfelt, quiet, wonderful drama with comedic overtones that is so understated, it qualifies as something of a small masterpiece.
The laconic Bill Murray is perfect as Don Johnston, a retiree living alone in his house, spending his time watching old movies. He made his fortune from computers yet he doesn't own one. His last girlfriend (Julie Delpy) has moved out since she is tired of Don's need to have a mistress rather than a wife and a family ("You are an over-the-hill Don Juan"). So he is alone, tired and perhaps emotionally spent. His next-door Ethiopian neighbor, Winston (Jeffrey Wright), is a detective mystery fanatic and wants to perhaps inject some spice in Don's life.
One day, Don finds a pink envelope with a note from some anonymous past girlfriend that claims he bore a son with her, and the now 19-year-old son is coming to look for him. Since there is no return address, Don can only think of his past conquests and love affairs. But who is it? Winston suggests that Don visit every former girlfriend to find his son, and does all the Internet research of finding their addresses.
So Don reluctantly travels to meet them and perhaps find his son (and the typewriter used to type the note). He travels by plane and rental car to each destination. First there is Laura (Sharon Stone), a professional organizer, and her typically nude daughter named Lolita - strike one. Then there is Dora (Frances Conroy), who is married, has no kids and sells real estate - strike two. Strike three is Carmen (Jessica Lange), a former lawyer who communicates with animals and has no son. Finally we get to Penny (Tilda Swinton), an angry woman living in seemingly squalor conditions who clearly hates Don. Well, three strikes and you are out.
Part of the pleasure of "Broken Flowers" is the anticipation of Don finding his son, not necessarily of Don reuniting with the mother, whoever it may be. And that pleasure is increased hundred-fold with Bill Murray. Murray's resistance to overstatement or rolling his eyes in disbelief has nurtured his work in recent films such as "Rushmore" and "Lost in Translation." Here, he gives his most nuanced, understated performance as Don, a man seeking answers to his past when he should consider the present. The fact that he finally does reach the end of his emotionally exasperating journey is a testament to Bill Murray who could have overplayed emotional reactions or facial tics with ease, as he has in the underappreciated "Scrooged." He wisely chooses not to - he is like a silent comedian. His body language, his gestures, give ample indication of what this man is thinking from moment to moment. No sentiment is required.
Jarmusch finds a rhythm in this film that is as close to poetic as anyone can get. From his typical fades to black after each segment and his minimalist use of camera movement, "Broken Flowers" slowly and suspense-fully reaches a conclusion that will leave you breathless. From Sharon Stone's sly smile to Don almost flirting with a flower shop female clerk to Winston's wife always greeting Don with a sunny smile, "Broken Flowers" is the kind of film that can be enjoyed for its leisurely rhythms and charms (and there are a few laughs too). But it is also a sad, observant, reflective film of a man who has somehow lost his passion, not just for women but for anything. Don't be surprised if you shed a tear at the end.
