Forget all of those critics' raves about it being a masterpiece. ... The film's joys are slight and derive mainly from the story's baffling mystery.
Broken Flowers (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:181
Fresh:157
Rotten:24
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Bill Murray's subtle and understated style complements director Jim Jarmusch's minimalist storytelling in this quirky, but deadpan comedy.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug use
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:21-10-2005
Synopsis: With BROKEN FLOWERS, staunchly independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch delivers one of his most pleasing, accessible pictures. Winner of the 2005 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the film tells... With BROKEN FLOWERS, staunchly independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch delivers one of his most pleasing, accessible pictures. Winner of the 2005 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the film tells the story of Don Johnston (Bill Murray), a man overflowing with wealth but void of emotion. On the day that his most recent girlfriend (Julie Delpy) has given up on him for good, he learns, through an anonymous letter, that he might be the father of a 19-year-old boy. Spurned into action by his wannabe private eye neighbor, Winston (Jeffrey Wright), Don sets off on a personal journey to visit the former partners who may or may not have mothered his child. They include the flighty Laura (Sharon Stone), whose daughter Lolita (Alexis Dziena) certainly lives up to her name; the uptight Dora (Frances Conroy), who has settled into a sterile life with her chipper husband, Ron (Christopher McDonald); the strangely distant Carmen (Jessica Lange), who makes a living as an "animal communicator;" and, finally, Penny (Tilda Swinton), a hard-edged biker who is the least happiest to see Don. Each confrontation leaves Don feeling more lost than the last, spinning him into an even greater state of apathetic confusion. In typical Jarmusch fashion, he wrote the script for BROKEN FLOWERS with his casting firmly in mind: only Murray could play this role. The result showcases Murray's brilliance as a less-is-more presence. Jarmusch also gives some of Hollywood's most talented female actresses roles they can relish. A hundred percent Jarmusch, BROKEN FLOWERS is a wry, tender, and bittersweet portrait of a man who is drifting aimlessly through life. [More]
Starring: Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton
Starring: Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy, Jessica Lange
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
Producer: Jon Kilik, Stacey E. Smith, Jim Jarmusch
Studio: Focus Features
Reviews for Broken Flowers
The laconic minimalism never seemed piquant or probing to me; it just feels minimal, except in its moments of creaky exposition and frustratingly overt finger-pointing.
Admittedly, some may find the movie's pacing a bit self-indulgent and its sense of humor more than a little odd, but this rewarding, cinematic voyage of self-discovery also provides some real food for thought.
... a beguiling excursion indeed ... for audiences who don't mind a movie that takes its time, keeps to the byways and delights in the twists of the road along the way ...
...a sharply observed and delightfully droll comedy about a Don Juan in a midlife crisis.
With another actor, this role might be a straitjacket, but Murray delivers something surprisingly touching.
Despite its melancholic tone, Broken Flowers is as much a celebration of the male ego as any carefree sex romp.
The film's singlemindedness, like Murray's solipsism, keeps it from feeling fully formed.
All he's left with is a look of blank existential exhaustion. From this stoic clay, Murray's every twitch and flicker sculpts complex inner wounds.
The emotional quest for something meaningful is more important than the ambiguous destination.
Like a flower, Jarmusch's story grows more beautiful as it slowly unfolds to reveal delicate but intoxicating inner truths.
I have no idea what Broken Flowers is supposed to be, beside an inconsequential study in awkward reunions.
Broken Flowers manages to charm us with its encompassing fragrance, the pungency of life forces emerging from the muck.
if you are an ardent fan of Bill Murray’s, this is a must-see performance ---- truly his best thus far.
the film is 100 times more palatable than any movie featuring car chases, fiery explosions and other overdone special effects.
won't satisfy mainstream audiences looking for easy resolution, but Jarmusch rightfully refuses to make the films that Hollywood demands
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