An unconventional observation of life

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2007)

Jim Jarmusch's star-studded, black & white 'Coffee and Cigarettes', is a series of short films that study human interaction. The film literally involves nothing more than a string of celebrities, sitting down (generally at cafés), drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and making conversation.
Anyone who has seen anything from Jim Jarmusch will be well aware of the unconventional and quirky style that he uses. It may put some viewers off, but there are always audiences that relish when a director steps outside of the mainstream and does something completely different. The films may not make it big at the box-office, but they are a testament to the directors love for art.
From the above description, it's pretty clear that this will not be a film that everybody will embrace. As with most indie and art house films, it will mostly appeal to a specialised audience. Some viewers will certainly be put off by the lengthy sequences of dialogue, and the occasional aimless feel that the film has. This does, however, seem to be the point. The film is purely an observation of life.
Even though not all of the films sequences are on the same level, it doesn't affect the film too much overall. All scenes are punctuated with amusing moments and humour, and the black & white cinematography looks and feels great. Jim Jarmusch has captured the quiet, aimless and sometimes awkward moments that occur in peoples daily lives wonderfully. The cast (including Cate Blanchett, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi, Bill Murray and Alfred Molina) are all great, and the acting (needless to say) is of a high standard. The film is certainly worth viewing, but will unfortunately never have mass appeal.