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| Cast and Credits |
| Cast: |
Bill Murray, Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright, Joie Lee, Cinque Lee, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Joe Rigano, Vinny Vella, Vinny Vella Jr., E.J. Rodriguez, Alex Descas, Isaach De Bankole, Cate Blanchett, Meg White, Jack White, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, GZA, RZA, Bill Rice, Taylor Mead |
| Director: |
Jim Jarmusch |
| Writer: |
Jim Jarmusch |
| Rating: |
Rated R for language. |
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Reviewed By: Brendan Cullin
Rating: 5.5/10
On a personal note, I've never been a big fan of coffee and have never been a fan of cigarettes. I have to admit, as a foolish young punk, I used to smoke the odd cigarette (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!) but it never came close to becoming a habit. As for coffee, I might have the odd coffee before a screening of a movie after a long workday or before participating in a hockey game - it is supposed to help with the energy level. Perhaps if I ever actually had sex, I would have a coffee then too. Maybe even a cigarette. Who knows? I sure don't.
Nevertheless, when I heard about a movie called "Coffee and Cigarettes", I was not entirely enthralled about an entire movie about people drinking liquid java and smoking cancer sticks for an hour and a half. But you look at the list of stars appearing in the movie - Steve Buscemi, Roberto Benigni, Bill Murray, Steven Wright, Cate Blanchett - and it certainly looks a lot more promising than it initially sounds.
Coffee and Cigarettes is partially a hit and partially a miss. The movie is basically eleven short skits involving one, two or three people hanging out and drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and engaging in what is supposed to be engaging and sometimes humourous conversation. The film was put together by director Jim Jarmusch over a period of 17 years. Like I said, some of the skits are quite entertaining - the Cate Blanchett skit in which Ms. Blanchett plays both an actress named Cate and her disgruntled cousin, borders on pure genius. The Alfred Molina-Steve Coogan skit is great entertainment. Bill Murray with the members of the Wu Tang Clan is hilarious.
Then some of the others are disappointing. I expected more laughs out of the Steven Wright-Roberto Benigni team. Steven Buscemi, a personal favourite, was forgettable. The two old Italian men swearing their heads off were average, at best.
Overall, I would say about Coffee and Cigarettes, that it is not a movie for everyone. People did get up and walk out of the theatre. Others, like the freak-show sitting behind me, laughed their asses off and kept kicking the chair in front of them. The movie was at times funny and at other times, a bit of a bore. It reminded me a bit of a Seinfeld episode. It is a movie about nothing. It is a movie about people drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and having pointless conversations. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in the world is a fan of Seinfeld. The same can be said about Coffee and Cigarettes.
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