If your idea of hell is drinking a decaf double latte in a smoke-free environment, consider seeing Coffee And Cigarettes, a series of short black-and-white films fuelled by caffeine and nicotine.
Created by Jim Jarmusch, Coffee And Cigarettes weaves together 11 little tales, all told in a cafe/diner scenario and all involving cups of coffee and full ashtrays. It's so pleasantly seamy.
Coffee And Cigarettes began in 1986 with a short that Jarmusch filmed for Saturday Night Live. That film, now 18 years old, stars a youthful Roberto Benigni and a youthful Steven Wright having an absurd conversation about dreaming in fast-forward and visiting the dentist. It's the opening film in Coffee And Cigarettes and is called Strange To Meet You.
The film Twins, which stars Steve Buscemi as an annoying waiter and Cinque Lee and Joie Lee as his twin customers, is likewise an early project, shot in 1989. So is Somewhere In California (1992), which stars Tom Waits and Iggy Pop denying they still smoke.
Other segments of Coffee And Cigarettes, shot just last year, involve performances from actors and musicians such as Cate Blanchett (who plays herself and her cousin), Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Bill Murray, Vinny Vella, Jack and Meg White, E. J. Rodriguez and GZA and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan. Though the segment called Delirium (with Bill Murray, GZA and RZA) is hilarious, the more recent films are, generally speaking, not as satisfying as the older ones for reasons of energy and spontaneity.
Various themes and notions tie the films together -- someone is always in a hurry to leave, many are defensive, a lot of the participants are competitive, and personal space is often invaded. Privacy is an issue. So is identity.
Conversation ranges from the ridiculous to the sublime. People chat about Elvis' twin brother, celeb life, music and medicine, a Mahler song, Nikola Tesla, wasabi peas. It's all weird. It's often humourous. It can be a tad precious but it's mostly very engaging.
And it may be an acquired taste. There is nothing mainstream about Coffee And Cigarettes, and there were several walk-outs at the screening we attended. This is probably a love-it or hate-it proposition.
(This film is rated 14-A)
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