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BROKEN FLOWERS (2005) (****)

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Jim Jarmusch a few years back made the highly underrated film GHOST DOG. Now he returns with a subtle comic play on the detective story, road movie and fading Don Juan.

Bill Murray (LOST IN TRANSLATION) plays Don Johnston (that’s Johnston with a T), a sullen millionaire who spends most of his day sitting or sleeping on his couch. His girlfriend Shelly (Julie Delpy, BEFORE SUNSET) has just left him when he receives a note from an ex-girlfriend saying that his son, who he didn’t know he had, may be coming to meet him. This news barely rouses any reaction out of Don, but the mystery of who the unsigned letter came from is exciting to Don’s best friend and amateur detective Winston (Jeffrey Wright, SHAFT), who convinces Don to make a list of all the women it could be.

Winston, an Ethiopian immigrant with three jobs and a houseful of kids, still finds time to discover the locations of the five women on Don’s list and set up plane flights to meet with each of them. (One is sadly dead.) The first woman Don goes to visit is Laura (Sharon Stone, CASINO), who has a daughter who doesn’t seem to understand the irony of her name being Lolita (Alexis Dziena, STRANGER WITH CANDY). Next is Dora (Frances Conroy, THE AVIATOR), a conservative realtor who seems unprepared to handle Don’s visit. Then comes Carmen, who is now a pet communicator. Lastly is Penny (Tilda Swinton, YOUNG ADAM), who is… well you’ll see.

The marvelous thing about the film is the script, which is so subtle in how it develops the characters and provides small clues into who they are, use to be and how their relationship was with Don. The mystery and Don’s journey is not the point of the film; it’s how Don acts when it’s all done. The weaving of metaphors, mainly the color pink, will be debated for years to come. The ending is unexpected and open-ended, but still rewarding. The entire film works as a mystery that the viewer must figure out. It’s quite brilliant.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks