CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 8/05/05

Flawed But Not Broken

By M. Elizabeth Rivera

Broken Flowers

Jim Jarmusch (also directed)

Writer/director Jim Jarmusch takes you on a thought-provoking journey of one man's search for his unknown son and himself in his latest movie, Broken Flowers. When aging ladies man Don Jonston (Bill Murray) gets a mysterious, unsigned pink letter informing him that not only is he a father, but that his 19-year-old son is looking for him, the depressed Lothario (recently dumped by his girlfriend) sets out to find mother and child -- and ends up on a journey that illuminates what his life is, and isn't. Beautifully written, Broken Flowers says much without actually doing so. The dialogue is well written, but this is a story built more on silence and body language than Tarantino-esque monologues. Thankfully, in this heavy comedy Jarmusch gives us some lighthearted moments with Winston (Jeffrey Wright), Jonston's Ethiopian sidekick, even if there some predictable lines. What's not predictable, or even clear, is exactly what the film is about. While the story is intriguing, foggy character development (including strange dream montages), a vague theme, and an open ending keep things cloudy even after you walk out of the theater. Nonetheless, the interesting story line and sparse but well-written dialogue earn this Broken Flower a blue ribbon.

Broken Flowers
Focus Features
Rated R; 105 min.

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Freelance writer M. Elizabeth Rivera can be found bumming around the greater Los Angeles area, looking for great story material and general mischief.

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