my 2 cents

Though, admittedly, I am a vicious critic, it is rare, rare event where I can find nothing positive to say about a film. Nothing.

Broken Flowers has achieved that dubious honor.

Bill Murray and I go way back*. I?ve loved him as long as Sophia has, it?s just that she?s got all that family connection and talent and stuff. But trust me, if I were making films, Bill would be calling me daily and sending me French caramels. Oh yes he would.

Why? Because I would NEVER let him get involved in a project as purposeless, meaningless and artless as Broken Flowers.

What Mr. Jarmusch failed to realize was that Bill?s performance in Lost in Translation was of a man suffering from jet lag and cultural alienation. The guy was tired. And what was appealing was you could see how funny and how much he had going on under his fatigue.

In Broken Flowers there is nothing going on under the surface. It?s like Bill is this guy with no personality who is jet-lagged, ingesting Quaaludes and recovering from a head injury.

Do you know how awful a director you have to be to make Bill Murray into a zombie?

Watch Broken Flowers and find out.

*Do you think Sophia would stay til the end of the movie just out of love for Bill? Do you? Even when her whole body is screaming "get OUT of here NOW!" Do you? Of course not. But I did. For Bill. Because I love him so.

updated: September 26, 2005

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