Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

IMDb plot summary: A series of vignettes that all have coffee and cigarettes in common.

Directed by Jim Jarmusch. Stars Bill Murray, Tom Waits, and Roberto Benigni.

Coffee and Cigarettes is an anthology film by Jim Jarmusch in which each short segment is centered around a character (or two or three) partaking in coffee and cigarettes under some circumstances. Many of these segments feature big-name actors and celebrities playing themselves. Like most anthology films, this one has good and bad segments, but overall this was an enjoyable and intriguing watch. Jarmusch's slow burn method of storytelling doesn't stretch for me over a full-length feature, but I enjoy this in small doses where I get a new setup every ten minutes or so. My personal favorite was the one starring Cate Blanchett as herself and her much less successful cousin, meeting for a brief catch-up during a press junket for Blanchett's newest film. It feels like a casual brainstorming exercise rather than a film, where every so often Jarmusch just said, "Hey, let's give some coffee and cigarettes to the actors I have in front of me and improvise something," and while it sometimes falls flat, it's an interesting creative experiment. It's a unique film that I'm glad I got to see.

🎥 Coffee and Cigarettes (2004)

📊 Ranked #1609/4269 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 63

beat The Master (#2116 → #2117)

lost to Fever Pitch (#1085 → #1083)

lost to The Long Day Closes (#1598 → #1602)

beat 3 Men and a Baby (#1855 → #1854)

lost to The Miracle Worker (#1729 → #1584)

beat Walk on the Wild Side (#1792 → #1795)

beat Man Hunt (#1761 → #1834)

lost to The Wolf Man (#1745 → #1616)

lost to The Gold Rush (#1753 → #1754)

beat Fearless (#1757 → #1758)

beat Backbeat (#1755 → #1756)

beat 12 Years a Slave (#1754 → #1803)