Μύ Bill Murray employs his trademark hangdog expression for Broken Flowers, a "moving, mirthful and minimalist" comedy drama from indier-than-thou director Jim Jarmusch. Whilst resolutely unconventional, this road trip down memory lane is one of his more accessible films and certainly capitalised on Murray's post-Oscar glow (his nomination for Lost In Translation still fresh in the mind).
If It Ain't Broke...
If you buy this DVD looking for a blow-by-blow account of Jarmusch's dramatic intentions, you're missing the point. In the Farmhouse featurette, which teams behind-the-scenes footage with director's commentary, he asserts that it's "not his job" to know what the film is about - that's the responsibility of each individual viewer. Still, he does make a small concession in describing Don's journey as "Yearning for something that you're missing, but not necessarily being able to define what is you're missing." So, now you know. Sort of...
Start To Finish is an outtakes reel, but not as we know it. You'll be hypnotised by the clacking of the clapperboard, counting down every scene in the film with moody jazz and Murray occasionally letting us in on his lateral thought process, eg "Is my skull getting flatter?" Meanwhile Girls On The Bus is likely to induce dizziness with alternative takes of said girls (Jennifer Rapp and Nicole Abisinio) wittering about hair and boys and, like, totally overusing the words "like" and "totally".
Full Bloom
Fans of Murray will know that he's a man of few words, but they'll still be left wanting an interview, or at least more in the way of behind-the-scenes footage. Fans of Jarmusch will know that he delights in enigma and prefers to let his films speak for themselves, but secretly they will hanker for a director's commentary. However, in the end, both groups will realise that this DVD with its light and offbeat sprinkling of extras is well tailored to a film that celebrates the little things. Like Don says, "All there is, is this." You may as well enjoy it.
EXTRA FEATURES
