I've met with Jim Jarmusch through 2 of his movies. First was Coffee and Cigarettes(2003). The other is Dead Man(1995). Both are black and white..both have remarkable cast..
The first one includes: Roberto Benigni, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Cate Blanchett, Alfred Molina, the White Stripes, Bill Murray...
Set is clear: "Coffee and Cigarettes". Jim Jarmusch is asking himself: "What possible are people talking about when they sip their coffees and light their cigarettes?". He has 11 answers..11 stories, in each of which the plot are sitting on a table, talking smoking drinking coffees..Not apart from our daily lives..But Jarmusch tells it in his own words.
My favorite part is "Cousins", with Cate Blanchett. I just loved this part ! watched over and over again. For the first time I admired Blanchett.. No no..more than that. She's the heroine of this independent for me. I've seen her in I'm Not There(in my top 3 movies list) where I didn't like the idea to have an actrice to act as Bob Dylan in one of those six characters..It wasn't necessary really. The movie was so good enough. Above that, I really didn't like Cate there. and I didn't find her successful enough to make people forget about her sexuality but ability. For me, the scenes was shouting "I'm cate, i'm cate..".
Anyway..In Coffee and Cigarettes however, she draws out her acting abilities, she changes shape, flows, twists, shouts !! She acts as both of the cousins who have totally different characters and life experiences. One of them, the actrice herself, Cate, beautiful, chic, elegant meets her cousin Shelly angry, jealous, straightforward, unfortunate. They two meet in a hotel loby and talk for a while while drinking their coffees. Incredible !! Cate Blanchett smokes and talks with her cousin (also Cate Blanchett) for a while, she's a bit nervous, nothing to say to Shelly, sometimes likes to emphasize how a shiny life that she is having..then, has to (!) leave early because of her business. Shelly lits a cigarette after she's gone, here after the waiter comes and tells her it is forbidden to smoke in the lounge =) how funny. c'est la vie. Worth to see it!
At the end of the movie, you don't want anything other than lit a cigarette next to your coffee, as I did :)
Dead Man on the other hand, was so photographic. The part where William Blake (Johnny Depp) was heading in the forest was having so nice shots in the leaveless forest. The movie was having a slow pace and the story is about a nothing-left-to-loose guy finding himself accidently in a murderer story where slayers are trying to 'find him and kill him' to get the money.
Dead Man reminded me Coen Brothers' stories, especially 'No Country For Old Man'. Also, another common point between Coens is Steve Buscemi. I love this actor! He has such an odd, funny-itself appearence. He is again a waiter here =) (well it's a shame that if you check imdb, he is not in the cast, but you'll see him in the 18th minute of the movie) This is the third one that I watched him as a waiter (others were in Pulp Fiction and Coffee and Cigarettes) and in Reservoir Dogs, he wass giving a long speech about waiters =) I'm sure there are more.. Funny guy! seems like things more on role propositons in which he'll act as a waiter.
We should also refer to the musics of this movie, which was recorded by Neil Young with his electric guitar, after the movie has been shot.
Also, we see Alfred Molina in a short part of the movie.
