A coffee pot of ideas. Like a melting pot but with a crappy pun.

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2007)

Having only seen one other Jim Jarmusch film, the understated 'Broken Flowers' (2005), I was not entirely sure what to expect from Coffee and Cigarettes. Composed over nearly a twenty year period, Jarmusch offers eleven captivating snapshots into the lives of a multitude of quirky characters connected only by the leitmotif of the eponymous title. Unique for C&C is that every character is referred to by their real-life name, with most playing exaggerated versions of themselves (Bill Murray, Meg and Jack White, Steve Coogan, Alfred Molina, RZA, GZA, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits) and others (Cate Blanchett, Isaach de Bankolé, Alex Descas, Renee French, William Rice, Roberto Bengini, Steven Wright) bringing to life intriguing individuals that you actually want to find out more about. This is where the appeal in C&C lies, in that the audience can use the segments to speculate on why these people are meeting for coffee (or, in two exceptions, tea), what has happened beforehand and what will happen to them once they leave. For example, why is Renee French, in the segment 'Renee' sitting on her own drinking coffee whilst reading a catalogue about handguns and hunting knifes? Perhaps she is an assassin, enjoying a moment of peace and clarity before she murders somebody across the street. What is left unsaid between Alex Descas and Isaach de Bankolé in 'No Problem?' Why, as best friends, have they not seen each other for two years? Why is Bill Murray hiding in a coffeehouse? For what reason are Iggy Pop and Tom Waits meeting each other 'Somewhere in California?' Does William Rice seem to pass away at the end, or merely fall asleep? Questions like these are purposely raised throughout C&C but are never answered. It's rather scintillating stuff, and much has to be left to the imagination.
It is also rather amusing stuff. There is always an underlying sense of awkwardness between the characters in each segment which constantly threatens to boil over, leading to both parties usually unintentionally insulting the other and one making an excuse to leave. The best example of this is in the aforementioned 'Somewhere in California' segment, where Iggy Pop seems to constantly fall foul of a laconic Tom Waits ("You think I need a drummer? What, so I'm not good enough to do it myself?") Another good example is in the segment 'Cousins', where two polar opposite cousins, one a successful film star, the other a free spirit and both played exceptionally well by Cate Blanchett, share an uncomfortable ten minutes envying each others' lifestyles before the movie star cousin is summoned away ("Maybe I'll get to meet Lou next time!" "His name is Lee.") A final highlight (there are many to choose from) is the representation of Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan as two extremely English stereotypes, with Molina as the gracious, polite and slightly bumbling gentleman and Coogan as the sarcastic, uninterested fop ("He's a very committed environmentalist." "Spike Jonze is a tree hugger? Jesus, I never would've had him down as that." "Well... I think he prefers the term 'leaf people.'") There are only a couple of misfires in C&C and these lie in the ostentatious 'Jack shows Meg his Tesla Coil' and 'Delirium' segments. They do not seem to fit with the other stories. There is no intrigue or wonder. Whereas the other segments had an element of realism about them, these two feel overtly artificial and forced. It does not help that for 'Jack Shows Meg...', neither Meg nor Jack White can act. They should have just played a song for five minutes instead. Also, in Delirium, despite having one of the greatest living actors, Bill Murray, his setup is so far removed from the other shorts that it seems like some kind of Saturday Night Live sketch (No way! Bill Murray talking to the Wu-Tang Clan dressed as a waiter and drinking straight from the pot. Mental!) It's a shame because 'Broken Flowers' shows how well Jarmusch employed Murray to give a fantastic, yet modest performance.
To conclude, Coffee and Cigarettes is a veritable treasure trove of characters, ideas and implications which should find resonance in some form or another with anybody, but if you're reading this and shaking your head don't worry; you're probably just a Taco Bell kind of guy.