Some Laughs as Celebrities Riff on Themselves

Rating: Null/10 (21 June 2004)

"Coffee and Cigarettes" seems to be Jim Jarmusch riffing like Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
He places various celebrities from mainstream and underground music and films in different restaurant locations to sort of play versions of themselves in structured improvs with lines repeating around the theme of sharing coffee (or occasionally tea) and smokes.
Much of the humor is based on simplistic contradictions between the dialogue vs. the celebrity's public persona, such as Cate Blanchett playing herself and her ne'er do well jealous cousin, Bill Murray and Steve Buscemi moonlighting as waiters, Alfred Molina as a sycophant, Tom Waits and rappers dabbling in alternative medicine, Jack and Meg White evincing enthusiasm for Tesla the scientist, etc.
There's some funny lines and unpredictable background music, including a wonderful evocation of Mahler.
No reason not to wait to catch it on cable or video.