Paterson

Life in itself may not offer anything of significance to some people. Sure, there are the many ups and downs but sometimes that's fine to those people. They're content with their day-to-day lives.

And the titular character (Adam Driver) of Jim Jarmusch's Paterson is no exception. He's a man of routine, every detail of his day barely changing. (His wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) is the polar opposite of him.) But it's how he carries on with his day that makes him both him and the film so interesting to watch.

There's also something interesting in how Paterson and Laura's mindsets work. Paterson is much more of a realist (though he writes poetry in his spare time). Laura, meanwhile, has a figurative and literal black-and-white way of thinking. It's this detail that shows why Jarmusch's one of the best directors working today.

Speaking of which, Driver has taken great lengths as of late to establish himself as an actor. (He has worked with the likes of Noah Baumbach and the Coen brothers in recent years.) Under Jarmusch's direction, he shows he's someone whose career you should keep an eye on.

Paterson makes for a good companion piece with Inside Llewyn Davis. (Coincidentally both films feature Driver.) It's a quiet glimpse into one's life, regardless of how remarkable it may appear to the outside world. But what matters is if they feel satisfied with how they spent their days.

My Rating: ****1/2

Only Lovers Left Alive

In the aftermath of the Twilight craze, it's hard to take vampires seriously. Now Hollywood will only depict them as pale, moody figures that would make even Bryon cringe. When will the vampires be cool again?

Fortunately, the answer can be found in Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive. Gone is the angst found in other supernatural romances. Jarmusch enforces a sleek take on vampires, which is practically expected when said vampires are played by Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. (Seriously, they're the coolest vampires since Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie.)

As well as veering away from the brooding bloodsucker image, Jarmusch also shies away from the ravenous vampire image as well. (You know, where they spend every other scene trying to get their fill.) Instead, Adam (Hiddleston) and Eve (Swinton) simply depicted as normal people...who are only active at night and survive on blood.

I admire the contrast between Adam and Eve. She is shown in white clothing while he's always in black. She's often in harsh lighting while he's lurking in the shadows. She's adapted to the times while he's rather...out of date with some things. (Half of the technology in his house is from the 70s or 80s alone.) They're not kidding when they say opposites attract.

Only Lovers Left Alive is most definitely the film that'll make vampires cool again. There's some pretty solid supporting work from Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin and John Hurt, but this show belongs to Swinton and Hiddleston (the latter I hope will get more roles of this nature). So be sure to see this when you get the chance.

My Rating: ****1/2

Down by Law

Jim Jarmusch is an interesting director. He blends style and story almost effortlessly. That said, I'm still not entirely won over by his manner of directing. (I did like Broken Flowers and Dead Man, but I didn't love them.)

Did my opinion change when I saw Down by Law? Well, sort of. I did like the story of the film and the way it was shot by Robby Muller. But I wasn't entirely won over by the way Jarmusch told the story. (Maybe one more film of his might make me change my ways.)

Still, the story is nice. As mentioned above, Muller's cinematography is quite lovely. The fact it's shot in black and white is also nice because it's not taking away from the story. (Hell, I just like post-1965 films shot in black and white.)

The stars are pretty good too. The three principal names are John Lurie (who also contributed to the music), Tom Waits (just look at that 80s hair!) and Roberto Benigni (long before he did Life is Beautiful). Of them, I liked Benigni as a form of comic relief.

Down by Law is good, but I wasn't entirely won over by it. Maybe on a re-watch I'll like it more but for now, I'm sticking with this verdict. (I'm picky, so sue me.)

My Rating: ****

Dead Man

The Western has been varied countless times. It can focus on characters more than action (Rio Bravo), action more than characters (The Wild Bunch) or both (Red River). Each time they manage to gain a new audience.

Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man isn't a Western in the strictest sense of the word, but rather a neo-Western. It's not set strictly in a dusty little town or the plains of the west, but rather in the wilderness of the west.

Our hero of Dead Man is William Blake (Johnny Depp), a bookish accountant from Cleveland (and not to be confused with the poet). Early on, it's clear he's unprepared for what is to happen with him. Once everything falls into place, Blake becomes one with the wild.

From his arrival in Machine to his trek in the wilderness, Blake encounters a motley group of characters. Of them, the ones that stood out the most for me were Alfred Molina's bigoted trader and Robert Mitchum's gun-toting businessman. I think it was mostly because both go by their own rules and question anyone that questions them. (That, and they're both badasses. Mitchum especially.)

Dead Man has many aspects I approve of. The acting, the cinematography, the script all work. The narrative, however, bugged me a bit. No matter. Jarmusch's direction kept Dead Man afloat.

My Rating: ****1/2

Broken Flowers

Bill Murray is probably one of the few actors who can be funny and serious at the same time. Whether it's one of his collaborations with Wes Anderson or an independent film, he's a hell of an actor. Probably something no one would've imagined during his Saturday Night Live days.

Don Johnston (Murray), having just broken up with his latest girlfriend, receives a letter from an old flame explaining that he has a son who is looking for his father. Hesitant to go on a journey, he is urged by his neighbor Winston (Jeffrey Wright) to investigate who is the mother of his child.

Along with Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers contains some of Murray's best work. Jim Jarmusch's direction is excellent (for those curious, Broken Flowers was my introduction to Jarmusch). Murray plays probably one of the more sympathetic movie characters in recent memory. You root for him when he's looking for son's mother and you feel sorry when doesn't get any closer to finding out. Broken Flowers is one of the best movies of the last decade.

My Rating: ****1/2