Don Johnston is a middle-aged bachelor whose latest girlfriend has given up on him because of his apparent fear of commitment. Taking to sitting around the house all day staring at the TV screen, his routine is given a kick-start when he receives a letter from a woman claiming that, after the end of their relationship twenty years before, she gave birth to his son. The letter is unsigned. Don shows the letter to his friend and neighbour Winston, who just happens to be a bit of an amateur detective. Don draws up a list of five ex-lovers from around twenty years ago, Winston then finds out their addresses and persuades Don to visit them to find out if any of them are the author of the letter. Will Don find his long-lost son? Or is he destined to be alone?
Having watched and enjoyed Lost in Translation, I was looking forward to this movie simply because of Bill Murray. In many ways, there are parallels between his character in Lost in Translation and Don. Both are middle-aged men who have enjoyed life, but have now come to the realisation that they have nothing in their lives and nothing left to look forward to. Murray manages to portray this very well. However, he didn't manage to win me over in this film. His perpetually blank face, devoid of grief or happiness or indeed any emotion, just irritated me; I found nothing in his character
to make me like him or care what happened to him and as his story is the main crux of the film, it left me feeling somewhat disappointed. He certainly didn't give a bad performance, it was just a very under-stated one that didn't give me anything to hold on to.
There are a host of well-known actors and actresses in this film; it is unfortunate that few of them were on-screen for long enough to make much of an impression. There is only really Jeffrey Wright, who plays Winston, that we get to know even a little bit. His character could have been a good one, but his enthusiasm to find out who Don's son is somehow didn't ring quite true and I found myself getting irritated by him. Sharon Stone plays lover number one. She looks amazing and is very convincing as a bit of a nut-job of whom Don is lucky to have got rid. Then there is Frances Conroy as lover number two. I spent ages trying to work out where I had seen the actress before - as the mother in Six Foot Under - and almost missed the interaction between her and Don. Then I realised there had been nothing much to miss. Jessica Lange as lover number three is much better. An animal psychologist, her meeting with Don is fraught with a sarcastic humour that I really enjoyed. Tilda Swinton was totally unrecognisable (to me at least) as lover number four. She could have been great - she showed more backbone than the rest of them put together - but unfortunately, the director saw fit to have her on screen for about two seconds.
The one thing I did like about the film was the underlying humour. Nothing was that hilarious (God forbid Bill Murray broke into a smile), but there were flickers of humour that made me think that the film wasn't so bad after all. I enjoyed the gentle teasing of lover number three and her apparent ability to understand animals - she wasn't made out to be completely over-the-top, which would have annoyed me. I think the film could have been made a little more light-hearted than it was though; on the whole, I was left with a feeling of desolation and I am not sure that was supposed to be the case.
There are snippets in the film that depict young girls in a way that I am not sure I liked. First, there are two young girls on a bus that are having the usual silly teenage discussion about nothing at all. Then there is the daughter of lover number one, who likes to walk around the house naked without caring who sees her. Then there is lover number three's assistant (played by Chloe Sevigny), who likes to wear short skirts and show off her legs for all to see - only to look disapproving when she catches Don looking at her. I didn't find any of it overly offensive, just a bit unnecessary. Perhaps it is meant to show Don that he is past all that now, then again, maybe it was just a chance for the producers to sell some sex.
I should have liked this film. I am at that age when I sometimes feel that life has passed me by and I should have been able to sympathise with Don. I also like films that are low on action, but that make you think. This one didn't quite win me over. Although I found myself intrigued enough to keep watching most of the time, there were times when I just wished it would hurry up and end. The ending, when it came, was rather abrupt, but I rather liked it - it didn't tie up all loose ends, but I could tell early on that this wasn't going to be the sort of film that had a polished ending. It is a shame that the rest of the film was not a bit more thought-provoking. I am not familiar with Jim Jarmusch's films, so perhaps they are an acquired taste.
This is an extremely slow-moving film. There are long periods watching Don's unexpressive face. If you like your films with a bit more action, then stay well clear. If you like films with a proper story, stay clear. I was personally disappointed by this film, but feel that it may improve after a second watch. For the time being, I'll recommend it, just don't expect too much from it.
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Thanks for the review. Not sure if I would like this or not. Informative review though.
lillamarta 15.02.2008 11:29
An excellent review, well observed.
What an actor conveys in a film depends largely on the director's instructions and involvement so this could be the reason Murray wasn't in top form in this fim. The reason I looked forward to watching Broken Flowers most was because of its director: Jim Jarmusch who became my fave indie director when he made Night on Earth. His directing here is disappointing, I felt almost depressed at the end of the film.
Don Johnston is an empty man. Hes not short of money, thanks to his considerable success ... more
with computers, but he is short of emotion, and very much alone. Yet as the latest woman in his life exits stage left, he receives a mysterious note. In it, he lea...
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Don Johnston is an empty man. Hes not short of money, thanks to his considerable success ... more
with computers, but he is short of emotion, and very much alone. Yet as the latest woman in his life exits stage left, he receives a mysterious note. In it, he lea...
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As the devoutly single Don Johnston (Murray) is dumped by his latest girlfriend (Delpy) ... more
he receives an anonymous pink letter informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. Don is urged to investigate this "mystery" by his closest friend ...
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Bill Murray (Lost In Translation) stars as Don Johnston, an ageing Don Juan who is ... more
compelled to reflect on his past when he receives by mail a mysterious pink letter, sent from a former lover informing him that he has a 19-year-old son. Don's unannounc...
![Broken Flowers [DVD] [2005]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78493902.jpg "Broken Flowers [DVD] [2005]")
Feb 9th, 2008
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