Slow, but each segment is terribly interesting

Rating: 7/10 (28 August 2005)

Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee & Cigarettes" is like a good painting: it's interesting to look at, subtle, simple, and strangely enigmatic in that you think the point is hiding just under the surface. It is also funny, and "cool" in the Tom Waits/Michael Madsen sort of way.
It's about nothing in particular, a collection of short films all involving two or three people, sitting in a diner somewhere at lunch time, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee, and conversing over banalities. Each segment lasts about ten minutes or so, and is so interesting because they grab us with some really intriguing characters, people, and performances - and sometimes all three.
It's got one of the most diverse casts I've ever seen (Steve Coogan, Steve Buscemi, Bill Murray, Alfred Molina, Iggy Pop, Cate Blanchett, Meg White, Jack White, RZA, GZA, Tom Waits, Roberto Begnini and others still) but it's not uneven; we don't feel like we're jumping from one genre to the next, maybe because it feels a little like Jarmusch has sucked the life out of these genres. Each segment is very laid back, the characters either nonchalant or trying to appear that way, with some exceptions.
The opening segment has Steven Wright and Roberto Begnini, both equally incomprehensible. Then Steve Buscemi explaining conspiracy theories to Cinque and Joie Lee (the guy can play anyone). Then Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, who seem to only be visiting each other to have a contest in condescending (Waits wins). And so on and so forth.
Some astounding performances can be spotted, astounding because they're so understated. Cate Blanchett plays both herself and her jealous cousin, and deserved an Oscar nomination. Steve Coogan plays himself with Alfred Molina, and it's fun to see how Coogan tries to control the conversation, then gets thrown for a loop. Bill Murray is, naturally, gut-busting funny.
Behind it all we sense the artist's hand, lathering on layer after enigmatic layer. Cheers to Jarmusch, who managed to pull together such a diverse cast and extract perfection from all of them.
It's not a great movie, it's not important, but it is fun, and cool, and interesting to watch around lunch time, with some coffee.
7/10