Broken Flowers

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In his recent work, Bill Murray has displayed a new level of low-key, minimalist acting. One can look at "Lost in Translation" and his films with Wes Anderson ("Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Life Aquatic") as perfect examples. Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch has displayed his own work with a low-key style as well. One can look at "Stranger Than Paradise", "Dead Man" (my favorite Jarmusch film), or "Coffee & Cigarettes" as examples. It makes a lot of sense that the two of them would collaborate on the methodically paced, "Broken Flowers."

Murray plays the aging Don Johnston and, like his namesake Don Juan, he is quite the lover boy. He's had a revolving door of women in his life, but hasn't decided to settle down with any of them. This is in contrast to his neighbor and friend, Winston (Jeffrey Wright), who's happily married with plenty of kids. Murray's latest flame, Sherry (Julie Delpy), has decided to leave, seeing no future in their relationship. On top of that, Don receives a pink letter in the mail with no name or return address. In it, a past lover claims they had a son together and he is now seeking out his recently discovered father.

Don pays it no mind, but Winston thinks of himself as an amateur detective and examines the letter. He also asks Don for a list of former flames, any one of whom could be potential candidates for the mother. Winston puts together an intricate itinerary for Don including travel plans, plane tickets, and rental cars. Don confronts his ex-girlfriends with varying results.

First up is Laura (Sharon Stone), the widow of a race car driver, who now works as a closet organizer. With flowers in hand, Don knocks on her door, only to find Laura's daughter, Lolita (Alexis Dziena). You can see where this is going. Lolita cavalierly struts about naked in front of Don. Laura isn't the mysterious letter writer, but Don spends the night in bed with her before heading off to his next stop.

Next is Dora (Frances Conroy), who's married and works in real estate. There's a lot to this sequence that I didn't pick up on initial viewing. Dora seems to have an idyllic life. She has the big house in the suburb, yet when she meets Don again there's a subtle tension in her that floats to the surface. She seems trapped in her new life as everything is just a little too perfect for her taste. It's all too clean and proper. Even dinner is odd due to its meticulous structure (not unlike this film). It appears more like something out of a happy homemaker ad than a meal people would eat in real life.

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