{image1}Speaking as a Jim Jarmusch fan, "Coffee and Cigarettes," the latest black and white film from the director of "Stranger Than Paradise," "Down by Law," "Mystery Train" and "Ghost Dog," is a mixed bag.
As always, Jarmusch sings in monochrome. The photography is stark, stunning and mysterious. His cast is superb: Roberto Benigni, Tom Waits, Joie Lee, Bill Murray.
On the downside, there's no story linking these vignettes of alienation -- a full ashtray and a filter full of spent coffee grounds does not a plot make -- and the rest of the cast is populated with a selection of folks from various "scenes" that appears calculated to make Jarmusch seem even hipper than he already is.
Meg and Jack White from The White Stripes riff amateurishly -- remember your high school or college film class? -- on inventor Nikola Tesla (and, sorry, Meg, we can see the reference to the metal band coming from a mile away).
Iggy Pop and Tom Waits play "themselves" meeting in a local bar. Cate Blanchett plays a movie star and her sometimes jealous/sometimes bitter cousin. Murray and members of Wu Tang Clan yuck it up in a restaurant.
The Benigni/Wright match-up, filmed nearly 20 years ago, is a charmer as the two funny men attempt in vain to find common ground. But one with "wiseguys" Joseph Rigano and Vinny Vella is a yawn-fest. The Pop/Waits affair and the White Stripes' vignette are interesting if not terribly engaging. Murray and Wu Tang provide some great comic relief, just when we need it most.
Best of all is the pairing of British actors Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan. Molina is a big fan of Coogan's, although Coogan appears to have only a passing knowledge of Molina and his work. But during genealogical research Molina discovers that Coogan is his cousin. Visibly creeped out by the meeting, Coogan is brilliantly uncomfortable -- and conniving, trying to figure out if this newfound relationship can help his career -- and the pair are the quiet highlight of an otherwise sporadically inspired film.
With the lack of a real plot or storyline, Jarmusch is banking on his pairings to fuel the film. While sometimes successful, often "Coffee and Cigarettes" isn't firing on all cylinders.
Why it appears to have taken years to make is a mystery, other than that perhaps it was never more than a pet project to be tinkered with between "proper" films. While Jarmusch has offered up an enjoyable snack about the creeping alienation in modern society (there's some uncharted territory, eh?), some of us were hoping for a satisfying meal.
"Coffee and Cigarettes" opens Friday, June 11 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
