Broken Flowers

Bill Murray is right on the mark as computer company owner Don Johnston in the film Broken Flowers. I went to see this film when it came out with some friends. Admittedly, I wanted to see it for many days before we saw it. So, I was looking forward to it. I hadn't heard much about the plot. I only knew Bill Murray was in it.

As I stated in an earlier blog, it's easy to take Bill Murray for granted because he's so good. Broken Flowers may very well be my favorite performance of his to date. Of course, it's tough to rate it higher than Lost In Translation, which is close. It's hard to rate these performances on any kind of fair scale. They're both different, and beautiful performances. The magic is in the subtlety.

Now, down to business. This film isn't for everyone. I don't even know if it's a comedy or a drama. I certainly laughed out loud in several spots. I was never deeply moved, but this movie does have a weird cerebral depth that has you waiting for the next moment, hanging on for the next event in Don's adventure. I won't go into detail about the plot, but the point of it is he has to confront four or five "old flames" in his life. He literally has to fly there and confront each one of them. These "broken flowers" have all gone their seperate ways, and it's fascinating to see where their lives ended up. You can see Don, who is reluctant to take this trip, absorbing these women's lives, and trying to process exactly what's happening.

I love the ending. At the time, I was upset by how it ended. But, the more it sinks in retrospect, the more beautiful I think it is. Life doesn't always present us with answers. There are things in all our lives that we strive to learn. But, these mysteries are not always answered in simple black and white explanations. It's tough to deal with, but the film does it beautifully.
It also deals with the choices we all make. Not the small daily choices of "white or wheat", but bigger choices. Life choices. It's similar to some themes of the film Garden State, but it's not as emotionally intrusive. Don seems to be coming to terms with guilt and regret, possibly for the first time ever. He learns that he may have a son with one of his former flames. It seems to bring him to a place of reflection and regret he has never experienced. Don't we all have those times? Maybe we don't have illegitimate sons roaming around, but we do have weird experiences from our past that deserve closure. At least, I do.

When I watched it, I was constantly apprehensive that director Jim Jarmousch was going to slip off into "artsy fartsy" territory. But, the film never gives in to that temptation. It seems to have a certain integrity, and genuine stability to it. I loved it, and I'm probably going to see it again.
That's my two cents. To Learn more about the plot, and other things, click here.

The DVD is going to be released January 3

my rating: 4 out of 5