746. Down by Law (1986)

Running Time: 107 minutes
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Written By: Jim Jarmusch
Main Cast: Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Ellen Barkin
Click here to view the trailer

JARMUSCH HAT TRICK: PART THREE OF THREE

Screw Netflix and thank God for YouTube! Since Netflix can't seem to remove their head from their pooper, I took to YouTube in search of "Down by Law" and wouldn't you know the video hosting site came through, once again.

"Down by Law" is the third part of my Jarmusch "hat trick" and is set in Louisiana, revolving around three characters who end up sharing the same prison cell. Jack (Lurie) is a pimp who is asked by a "friend" to go check out a new girl, one who promises to drum up some good business. When Jack arrives at the hotel room where the girl is holed up, the cops bust in on him before he can get a good look at her and when the light comes on it is revealed that the girl is underage. It doesn't look good for Jack and he is promptly arrested. Then there's Zack (Waits), an unemployed disc jockey who is kicked out by his rambunctious girlfriend. While sipping on a bottle, down on main street, Zack is approached by a "friend" who offers him $1000 if he'll drive a car from point A to point B. Down on his luck, Zack accepts the deal and when the cops pull him over they find a dead body in the trunk - Zack, much like Jack, is promptly arrested. The two wind up, as I said, sharing a prison cell and despite the fact that they don't always get along, share a bond as two guys who were framed for the respective crimes. Enter criminal #3, Roberto (Benigni), an Italian tourist to America who was sent to prison for accidentally killing a man with a billiard ball. He doesn't speak the best English, which is why he carries a small tablet in his breast pocket, filled with American phrases and sayings ("I screama, you screama, we all screama for ice creama!"). Inside, the three men bicker back and forth, in between playing cards and talking about their lives on the outside.

I think, all in all, I preferred "Stranger Than Paradise" to the other Jarmusch offerings from THE BOOK, but "Down by Law" comes in as a fairly close second. It has more of a plot than STP and perhaps that's it's downfall. I preferred the plainness of STP and the way that all you had to do was just observe the actions and interactions of the characters. In "Down by Law" there's a little more to it than that and there are also a couple more flaws than in STP. For starters, Jarmusch takes a little too long to get into the meat and potatoes of the story, leaving us to sit through a good thirty to forty minutes before we even get into the prison cell, which is where the magic happens. Jarmusch could have easily cut down the opening act, getting us inside the prison quicker and allowed his actors to flourish in what viewed like improvised interactions between Lurie, Waits and Benigni. It's a small gripe, but one that would've helped the picture flow just a little bit better. I'm nitpicking folks, bear with me.

But hey, you know what this film had that "Stranger Than Paradise" didn't? Roberto Benigni! Man, this guy made the movie for me. What an actor he is and what a hilarious guy. And hey, I can't discount Tom Waits' involvement either, for he also did a fine job and what is it about musicians that just seem to work in Jarmusch movies. Add John Lurie to the mix and you have a threesome that is really hard to dislike. I don't know what else to say. This is a fun film that I don't think a lot of people have heard of. If you want to really impress your film snob friends and have a good time doing so, rent "Down by Law", enjoy it and then go tell them of the little, independent feature that you discovered.

RATING: 7/10  If you're still thirsty for Jim Jarmusch check out "Night on Earth", "Coffee and Cigarettes" and "Broken Flowers", all excellent offerings from an excellent filmmaker. FYI - I have never seen "Mystery Train", "Ghost Dog" or "The Limits of Control".

MOVIES WATCHED: 529
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH:  472

COMING SOON
Beverly Hills Cop (1984 - Martin Brest)
A Room with a View (1985 - James Ivory)
Three Brothers (1981 - Francesco Rosi)
Chariots of Fire (1981 - Hugh Hudson)

September 18, 2012  1:00am

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902. DEAD MAN (1995)

Running Time: 121 minutes
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Written By: Jim Jarmusch
Main Cast: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Robert Mitchum
Click here to view the trailer

JARMUSCH HAT TRICK: PART TWO OF THREE

Man, Netflix is really grinding my gears lately. They ship out "Down by Law" on Friday, which means I SHOULD get it on Saturday. It doesn't arrive on Saturday and I'm pissed, but I realize that things happen and let it go. Today, I expect it to arrive but before I can get to my mailbox, I get an e-mail saying that "Netflix has received Down by Law". What? I haven't even received it! I call them and am given some bullshit excuse that it "looped back" and they'll be sure and send out a replacement first thing tomorrow morning. Geez!! Anyway..."Dead Man"...

The film opens with a guy that looks very much like an accountant, riding a train, briefcase in tow. We later learn that, indeed, he is an accountant, his name is William Blake (Depp) and he's on his way to the town of Machine to accept a job offer at Dickinson MetalWorks. When he arrives at Dickinson, he is told that the letter he received about the job was sent out two months ago and that "his" position has been filled. Blake demands to talk to the head man, Dickinson (Mitchum), who promptly points a shotgun in his face and tells him to get out. Feeling dejected by old man Dickinson, Blake hits up a local saloon, buys a bottle and meets a prostitute, Thel Russell. Back at her room, Blake and Thel bed down, only to be interrupted by Thel's fiance, Charlie Dickinson, who shoots Thel and is shot by William. Before dying, Charlie gets a round off, shooting William in the chest. William flees the scene, stealing a pinto horse and riding until he can't ride any longer. We later learn that Charlie is the son of old man Dickinson, owner of Dickinson MetalWorks. Saddened by the loss of his son, his son's fiance and his prize pinto horse that Blake stole when he fled town, Mr. Dickinson hires a trio of bounty hunters to bring him William Blake - dead or alive. Aided by a Native American named Nobody (Farmer), Blake navigates through the woods, learning invaluable lessons from Nobody and trying to elude the hunters.

You watch "Dead Man" and it's clear that you're watching Jarmusch's masterpiece. "Dead Man" looks better than any other Jarmusch movie, has more stars than any other Jarmusch movie and seems to be more cared for than any other Jarmusch movie. The film isn't like any other Jarmusch movie in that there's much more violence and it's not as real to life as say "Stranger Than Paradise" or "Night on Earth". Cinematographer Robby Muller, who I had never heard of, has got to be at the top of his game here, because it's been a while since I've oohed and aahed as much as I did while watching "Dead Man". I could rattle off dozens of images where I was literally in awe of my television screen. This film was meant to be shot in black and white and color could have only taken away from the beauty that was on display here. The film stars Johnny Depp and features a handful of very talented, often underutilized actors including Crispin Glover, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, not to mention Robert Mitchum (in his final role), Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Gabriel Byrne, Alfred Molina and John Hurt. Bottom line: I couldn't find a fault anywhere in the production, which leads me to my next point....

Why didn't I like it as much as I should have? I mean, everything was lined up, this movie should have been an easy candidate for a TOP 5 spot on my next TOP 20, however, I don't think it will make it that far. You know, it's kind of like "The Lady from Shanghai", a movie that totally blew me away visually, but one that just failed to really grab my attention and ultimately was left completely off the last TOP 20. But that was a problem I had with the plot and I didn't have a problem with the plot of "Dead Man". The plot was fine, basic and very easy to follow and sometimes played out like a Coen Brothers movie. The Neil Young score was easy on the ears too, as I couldn't get enough of that lulling, rusty guitar and thought that it provided perfect accompaniment to the images on the screen. This one's going to bug me for a long time and hopefully I come to some sort of epiphany and come to my senses, but as of now I have to say that the film oftentimes bored me and despite the beauty on display, something didn't click. Maybe it was the unusual combination of Jim Jarmusch, Johnny Depp and the western genre that just didn't sit right or something, I don't know. This movie was the cinematic equivalent to a delicious meal that gives you diarrhea; it looked good on the surface, but ultimately it didn't work for me.

RATING: 6.5/10  I'm not saying that it's terrible or anything, I'm just saying that all signs pointed to this one getting a '10' and it didn't work out that way. I'll make sure to keep this one in the front of my mind though. By the way, if you check this one out, be on the lookout for the scene involving Billy Bob Thornton and Iggy Pop - funniest scene in the film, hands down.

MOVIES WATCHED: 528
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 473

September 17, 2012  2:43pm

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718. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

Running Time: 89 minutes
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Written By: Jim Jarmusch
Main Cast: John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson, Cecillia Stark
Click here to view the trailer

JARMUSCH HAT TRICK: PART ONE OF THREE

The last time a "hat trick" was done here at "1001 Movies I (Apparently) Must See Before I Die" was back in November 2011 and it was dedicated to Sergio Leone. For the newcomers, that ended with all three of those films garnering spots in the TOP 10 of that season's TOP 20 list. Can Jim Jarmusch and his three offerings achieve the same feat? It's looking good so far.

"Stranger Than Paradise" is broken up into three parts and stars John Lurie (Willie), Eszter Balint (Eva) and Richard Edson (Eddie). The first part, entitled "The New World" begins with Willie answering his telephone and being given the news that he'll have to put up his Hungarian cousin Eva for a period of ten days, while Eva's permanent roommate, her Aunt Lotte (Stark), spends some time in the hospital. Willie isn't exactly excited to get this news, citing that Eva will disrupt his whole life, but ultimately gives in. When Eva arrives, Willie doesn't exactly give her the Hilton experience, clearing dirty laundry off of a cot and being very short with her, demanding that she speak English. Over the next ten days, Willie and Eva do their best to make things work, with Willie coming around more and more each day, trying his best to explain the fundamentals of football and the definition of a TV dinner to Eva. After ten days, Willie buys Eva a new dress and sends her on her way to Cleveland, where she'll take permanent residency with Aunt Lotte. The second part, entitled "One Year Later", opens with Willie and his best friend Eddie playing poker at someone's apartment. One of the men they're playing poker with accuses the two of cheating and Willie and Eddie take off. This part focuses more on the friendship between Willie and Eddie and establishes the two as gambling junkies. Willie decides that since the duo has just made $600 at cards, that they should get a car and drive to Cleveland for a surprise visit with Eva. They do just that, arriving in a very snowy Ohio and find Eva working at a hotdog stand. Later, Willie and Eddie decide that they'd like to see Florida and decide to take the car south and extend their vacation. Part three, entitled "Paradise", takes place in Florida, with Willie, Eddie and tag-a-long Eva.

SPOILER ALERT!

In 2004, while working at "Movie Gallery", a video store chain, I happened upon a film called "Coffee and Cigarettes". I wasn't a smoker (yet), but for some reason the title and the list of stars that appeared on the front cover of the DVD appealed to me. I rented it and loved it, subsequently buying it not long after. It was around this time that I started to notice the name's of directors, rather than the names of the celebrities appearing in the films and Jim Jarmusch was an early discovery that I made all on my own, without recommendation or coaxing from another. I think we all have director's like that; ones that we discover without recommendation and therefore are special to us because we almost feel like we had a hand in discovering them. Not long after that viewing of "Coffee and Cigarettes", I made it a point to see more Jarmusch films and later that year I saw "Stranger Than Paradise" for the first time. I loved that one too and realized that it was the very true to life narratives and plain photography of Jarmusch that appealed to me. There wasn't anything snazzy or awe inspiring about his pictures. He laid his resources out on the table, gave us very basic characters and dialogue and in the case of "Stranger Than Paradise", gave us interesting interactions that felt very real and true.

"Stranger Than Paradise" is a hole in the wall movie and it's not hard to see that it was filmed on a shoestring budget. However Jarmusch's talents shine as he presents an interesting film that is primarily about loneliness and isolation, or at least that's what I took away from it. When Willie gets the news of Eva's staying with him for ten days, he puts up a fight, a fight that he ultimately loses and is forced to play host to his Hungarian cousin, whom he's never met before. When Eva arrives, Willie is very stubborn, proving to Eva and maybe even himself that he would preferably be alone and that he doesn't need or want a roommate. He is very short with Eva, griping at her about everything he possibly can and making her feel as unwelcome as possible. When the time comes for Eva to leave, Willie stares blankly as she packs her bag, asking her to leave him a few packs of Chesterfields. He gives her a new dress, which he picked out personally and sends her to Cleveland. Willie is now alone again and he realizes that being alone isn't all he originally made it out to be. He realizes that his dumpy little apartment isn't much of a life and that at least with Eva around, he had a companion. One year later, Willie still realizes that loneliness isn't an option and convinces Eddie to borrow a car so that the two can go to Cleveland. Willie is at his happiest during the car ride, playing little games with Eddie, calling his name and then turning away, realizing that soon he'll have not one, but two companions, more than he's ever had. When they arrive at Aunt Lotte's house, Willie is even happy to see her, accepting her home cooking graciously and scarfing it down with a smile on his face, realizing that it's good to be around other people. When he finally reunites with Eva, he treats her better than he ever did in New York, being appreciative of her company and even holding conversations with her. In Florida, he starts to take the companionship for granted again, wanting to break out of his rut and go gambling, forcing Eva to stay behind. When Willie loses his money, he flies off the handle, yelling at both Eva and Willie. In the end, they're all left alone again, traveling in different directions, destined to be alone.

The film also seems to prove that there is no such thing as paradise, that no matter where you go, who you're with or what you're doing, life presents the same thing to everyone - a lot of mundane packed with glimpses of excitement. Or maybe I'm just reading way too much into it. Maybe the thing I liked most about "Stranger Than Paradise" was observing the characters and watching their seemingly ad-libbed interactions and conversations. I have to mention John Lurie and what a treat he was to watch on the screen. It's a shame that Lurie didn't make it bigger as an actor because I really loved watching him here. In my opinion he was magnificent, as were Balint and Edson. If you decide to check out "Stranger Than Paradise" then please don't go in expecting a lot. Like I said, this movie is a hole in the wall flick and it doesn't demand hype. It's just a movie that is a pleasure to watch and observe and one that I think most people will either love or hate. I, for one, loved it!

RATING: 9/10  I'm not going full out '10' just yet, but come RECAP time I might that '9'. Next up is going to be "Dead Man", despite the fact that chronologically it isn't next in line. However, I have yet to receive "Down by Law" from Netflix so that's the way it's gotta' be.

MOVIES WATCHED: 527
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 474

September 16, 2012  10:54pm

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