Earlier this year movie fans were treated to the surprisingly original vampire indie film “Only Lovers Left Alive,” by cult filmmaker Jim Jarmusch.
The renaissance man has had his share of modest hits with “Down by Law,” “Night on Earth” and “Dead Man,” and a number of music collaborations top off his eclectic resume. One project that was pushed aside by more than his usual fans at the time of release but has gone on to age decently was 2003’s “Coffee and Cigarettes.” The film, which features a dozen short segments and stars celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, Steve Buscemi, Bill Murray and Roberto Benigni, continues to gain viewers from fans of the cast and Jarmusch.
Shot randomly as short films over a period of two decades, Jarmusch’s movie features his signature style of black and white footage and raw, rock music to simplistic yet effective use as the actors drink and puff away their conversations.
The characters are mostly fictionalized versions of the actors’ real selves. English actors Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan play scripted cousins, Blanchett portrays herself and a fake cousin she meets up with, and rock stars Tom Waits and Iggy Pop play their own public personas opposite each other.
The main source of the film’s following seems to stem from fans of the rock duo the White Stripes, who star in one of the segments called “Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil.” The two even talk to each other as siblings rather than former spouses (a reference to Jack Whiteclaiming his bandmate was his sister when the band first broke through) when White demonstrates how an electric coil works.
While the Stripes’ segment is arguably the most popular and introductory to new viewers, another amusing piece is “Delirium” where hip-hoppers RZA and GZA meet Murray and become star struck.
Comedian Coogan and character actor Molina have surprisingly good chemistry together in “Cousins?” And Blanchett won a few acting awards for her work in 2004 that included her one-woman segment, “Cousins.” Though most of the shorts are entertaining, there are a couple of dry sequences, such as “Renée” with unknown actress Renée French, and the untitled first segment with Benigni and Steven Wright.
Like a lot of independent films, “Coffee and Cigarettes” will most likely be enjoyed best by those who are already familiar with Jarmusch’s style and unconventional, arthouse features.
Movie lovers who are fans of anyone in the all-star cast, meanwhile, may have seen the segment featuring their favorite actor. Still, as far as cult indie movies go, “Coffee and Cigarettes” remains in the category of “underrated” – and worth a second chance with modern audiences.
mbianco@durangoherald.com. Megan Bianco is a movie reviewer and also contributes other entertainment related features and articles.
