Directed by Jim Jarmusch and winner of the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, “Broken Flowers” is a comedy about the adventures and misadventures of a man (Bill Murray) who travels cross-country in search of an ex-lover who claims to have had his child.
Murray’s performance is comparable to his last two films (“Lost in Translation” and “The Life Aquatic”). The wide shots will remind viewers of “Lost in Translation” in their assertion that an unresponsive and straight-faced Murray is the most captivating thing in the frame. And although the movie was aimed for an older crowd, I found it to be quite moving, especially with the semi-obscure music Jarmusch decided to lay as the soundtrack music.
Murray is dumped by his current girlfriend (Julie Delpy) and is at a point in his life where things couldn’t get any worse, he is encouraged by his neighbor and close friend Winston (Jeffrey Wright) to track down the writer of a mysterious pink letter Murray receives regarding an unknown son. In a trip planned out detail-by-detail by Winston, an amateur sleuth, Murray visits the possible candidates (Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone and Tilda Swinton) and is forced to deal with these four uniquely different women.
Murray’s character is described as a lady’s man and is affectionately called a “Don Juan” by Winston. Although his actions and implied thoughts may be interpreted as crude, Murray merely has a fascination with the female physique. A prevalent indication of Don’s allure comes when he revisits his four ex-lovers. No name needs to be mentioned in order for these women to realize who it is, for they recognize him quickly. Their responses are happy ones, however short-lived that delight may be.
Through a series of events, Murray goes from one woman to the next, learning things about each of them that he’d never known during their dating period.
Overall, the movie proved to be not a complete waste of the nine dollars spent on the ticket. Although it lacked in the dialogue department, the audience is compensated by some of the most random scenes ever. We’re talking teenage nudity, jealous lesbian receptionists and a woman who thinks she can talk to animals; scenes that would make even a hardheaded critic crack a smile.
These women meant something to Don. And although each of them has moved on, he has not. Towards the end of his fruitless journey, traces of grief darken Murray’s expression. What appears to be the film’s ending is truly “just the beginning” as they say.
