With the summer film season gearing up, there are plenty of films. Many of those are sequels or formula movies that can all blend together. For those who dare to take a chance on a film that is different from the standard multiplex fare, Coffee and Cigarettes can be very rewarding.
(2004) Film Review
This page was created onJune 28, 2004
This page was last updated on
June 28, 2004
Cast
Roberto Benigni ... Roberto
Steven Wright ... Steven
Joie Lee ... Good Twin
Cinqué Lee ... Evil Twin/Kitchen Guy
Steve Buscemi ... Waiter
Iggy Pop ... Iggy
Tom Waits ... Tom
Joe Rigano¹ ... Joe
Vinny Vella ... Vinny
Vinny Vella Jr. ... Vinny Jr.
Renee French ... Renee
E.J. Rodriguez ... Waiter
Alex Descas ... Alex
Isaach De Bankolé ... Isaach
Cate Blanchett ... Cate/Shelby
Mike Hogan ... Waiter
Jack White ... Jack
Meg White ... Meg
Alfred Molina ... Alfred
Steve Coogan ... Steve
Katy Hansz ... Katy
GZA ... GZA
RZA ... RZA
Bill Murray ... Bill Murray
Bill Rice¹ ... Bill
Taylor Mead ... Taylor
Cinematography by Tom DiCillo, Frederick Elmes and Robby Müller
Edited by
Jim Jarmusch (segment "Somewhere in California")
Terry Katz (segment "Somewhere in California")
Melody London (segments "Twins" and "Strange to Meet You")
Jay Rabinowitz
"Coffee and Cigarettes" is a comic series of short vignettes that build on one another to create a cumulative effect as the characters discuss things as diverse as caffeine popsicles, Paris in the twenties, and the use of nicotine as an insecticide all the while sitting around sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes. As Jarmusch delves into the normal pace of our world from an extraordinary angle, he shows just how absorbing the obsessions, joys, and addictions of life can be.
Review by DARREL MANSON BLOG Pastor, Artesia Christian Church, Artesia, CA http://netministries.org/see/churches/ch01198
Darrel has an incredible love and interest in the cinematic arts. His reviews usually include independent and significantly important film.
In 1986 Jim Jarmusch shot a short black and white film for Saturday Night Live showing Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni meeting over some coffee and cigarettes. Since that
time he has added ten more shorts with the same motif and style, and even some of the same jokes or lines of dialogue, but each its own story. Some of the films feature either actors or musicians Jarmusch was working with on other films; some are people he just wanted to work with. In many of the scenes, the actors seem to be playing themselves, but each scene is a fictionalized or exaggerated version of the people. Although filmed over a 17-year period, the filming itself really didn't
take that long: two of the segments were filmed in a single day, while the final six were filmed in two weeks.
Coffee and Cigarettes is a compilation of these short films. It is possible to look at it as a collection and judge each as a separate entity. However, these short films do fit together well, making an overall watching experience.
Although coffee and cigarettes play an important role in each of the shorts, the overall film is really much more about the interaction that takes place between the characters.
Nearly all the segments are characterized by a high degree of awkwardness. When people meet for the first time, they may not know what to talk about, so they focus on their coffee or their smoking rituals. Even when they speak to one another there is often misunderstanding. There are times when two characters are each looking in a different direction as they both carry on their conversation. This social dimension of the film is what is intriguing about it. It mirrors the awkwardness
people often feel in a way that we are able to laugh at ourselves as we laugh at the actors.
I should note that this film won't appeal to everyone. I saw it at an art house theater where the audience would all expect off-beat films. There were over a dozen people who walked out at various places in the middle of the film. I don't know what they expected from the film, but their expectations were obviously not met. This is a talking movie. It occasionally involves some
physical humor, but for the most part it is scenes with two or more people sitting, drinking coffee, smoking and talking. It is an exercise in people watching.
Yet, in spite of the exodus from the theater, my wife and I were enthralled with the film. On the way home, we kept mentioning the vignettes that appealed to us and found that
we touched on most of them. To be sure, some are better than others, but each story brings its own humor and pathos to share with the viewer.
With the summer film season gearing up, there are plenty of films. Many of those are sequels or formula movies that can all blend together. For those who dare to take a chance on a film that is different from the standard multiplex fare, Coffee and Cigarettes can be very rewarding.
Your Private Comments. I will not post these comments. What are your personal thoughts? I also welcome your spiritual concerns and prayer needs. I will correspond with you, usually within two weeks. Click here
Review by 
