Broken Flowers (2005) User Reviews

Leaves itself open to interpretation

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 11 April 2006]

Whether it was (shrewdly) planned or not, Bill Murray has become one of our greatest cinematic resources, just as comfortable doing dry comedy as he is acting in a mood piece; his whole melancholy being has become perfect for avant-garde comedy, and this meticulously-mounted and shaded dramedy is a true Bill Murray vehicle. The loosely-structured plot is open to interpretation; it deals with calling up the past--which the film says you can't really do because it's gone--and not worrying about the future because it isn't here yet. Murray plays a computer businessman, a committed bachelor and "over-the-hill Don Juan", who receives news he might have fathered a child with an ex-girlfriend 20 years ago. Originally titled "Dead Flowers" (more effective and appropriate), the film is an unintended journey of self-discovery from writer-director Jim Jarmusch, purposely incomplete but not pointless. Jarmusch's screenplay leaves the scenario open for discussion, with each sequence structured in such a cockeyed way that we don't really know where the movie is headed. This is perfect for audiences interested in something a little different (even when the pacing is dryly solemn or slow, the picture delights in being anti-formula). A good film; difficult as an entertainment per se and often puzzling or obtuse, it nevertheless continues Bill Murray on the rewarding path of an actor with incredible taste, decision and consequence. **1/2 from ****

Wonderfully unique and charming (but perhaps too spare)

[drjimmycooper · 8/10 · 4 June 2005]

I just saw this at a press screening. It's very smart, well-made and entertaining, directed with sure-handed control, full of quirky, funny moments and superb acting. The film pretty much avoids clichés, although it does rely a bit on the familiar "Aren't Middle-Americans quirky?" idea for its humor. But Jarmusch never goes too far with this, his restraint keeping the film propelled from beginning to end.

The only weakness for me is rooted in the film's strength: I feel like there's not quite enough here.

Murray's character is beleaguered and despondent, Murray plays him with perfect subtlety. This is fun and fascinating to watch; I found myself hanging onto every little expression on Murray's face. But, the combination of his passive, muted performance and the spare storytelling left me wanting more. It just doesn't have as much impact as I feel it could have. So, yes, it's wonderful minimalism, but perhaps a bit too slight of a movie to have any lasting resonance.

Bill Murray has added another very good performance to his career, and Jim Jarmusch has made another compact little gem (unlike some of his more recent films). Unique and entertaining. Definitely worth seeing.

Good Movie from an On Again/Off Again Director

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 31 January 2006]

I can't think of an actor better suited to play the expressionless chronic bachelor Don at the heart of Jim Jarmusch's newest movie than Bill Murray. His mournful hound-dog face, which hides any trace of what's going on inside the head on which it sits, stares blankly at the T.V., at other people, sometimes at nothing, betrays itself with the slightest movement of the mouth or twitch of the eyes. It's a characterization Murray has so down pat that I'm tempted to think he's not really acting all that much, but he's so perfectly cast that it doesn't much matter whether he's acting or not.

If you're not familiar with the movies of Jim Jarmusch, "Broken Flowers" is a nice introduction, as it's the most accessible Jarmusch film I've seen. I'm not a huge fan, but I liked this movie quite a lot. Don receives an anonymous letter one day from a past girlfriend, telling him he has a 19-year-old son who may come looking for him. Murray's friend, Winston (played amusingly by the chameleon Jeffrey Wright), convinces him to track down a handful of women who could have possibly been the mother and resolve the mystery. Don agrees to it, seemingly not so much because he has a need to know but because he has nothing better to do. What follows is a series of scenes with each past girlfriend, during which their interactions with Don tell us heaps about their relationship back when they were dating. Some are affectionate, some are distant, one is downright scarily angry, but all are played beautifully by a quartet of actresses: Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton.

This is Jarmusch, so there aren't necessarily any tidy answers, and I don't think I give anything away by saying that the mystery is never solved. Life is messy, and it doesn't always happily resolve itself just because we want it to. I liked how subtle the film was; Don doesn't make any huge ground-breaking discoveries about himself, but nevertheless you sense that he's a slightly different person after his journey than he was before it.

You'll have to be patient, as Jarmusch tells his story very slowly, and nearly all of Don's interaction with others is ponderously awkward. But the movie slowly begins to fascinate, and you find yourself watching the faces of the women he visits (and examining the visible details of their lives) much in the same way that Don is himself, looking for the slightest hint that she might be the one who sent that fateful letter.

A very fine film, poignant and sad in a rather obscure way, and one that stays in your mind for a while after seeing it.

Grade: A-

A low-key picaresque

[JohnDeSando · 16 August 2005]

Barely dramatic, thematic but enigmatic, that's Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers. His Stranger than Paradise was exactly that, a Cleveland road trip to existential uncertainty. In Broken Flowers, Bill Murray as Don Johnston is also on a trip, but more certain of his goal than anyone in Stranger, for he seeks out his alleged son by visiting former lovers, one of whom anonymously wrote that she had borne him a child 19 years ago.

The formidable women, including a randy Sharon Stone happily lampooning her film persona and Tilda Swinton, tougher and more dangerous than all the others in her biker mom role, never really sway him from seeking his son or finding himself. Beyond discovering that you can't change the past of "an over-the-hill Don Juan," much less understand him, reflected in the depressing but authentic lack of communication with all but one of his wives, Murray may have discovered on his low-key picaresque a truer self than he had ever known before. He may be beaten up physically, he may be unable to close the case of his putative son, and he may have divorced himself from his millionaire persona as a computer whiz, but he remains a deeply calm, lonely wanderer in his effort to solve his case.

An amateur detective, neighbor Winston has the spirit and energy Don does not have, yet Don is deeper and more reflective. In fact he outstrips all of his former loves in kindness and caring in calm response to often explosive situations, for instance when Stone's daughter, Lolita, comes on to him only to find he is not available.

I complain American films are not sophisticated like Euro flicks, but Jarmusch has come close with this slow, laconic, and demanding indie. Hats off to Bill Murray for mixing minimalist with passionate this time around—his purpose and his change of character make his aging Hollywood star Bob from Lost in Translation just a dress rehearsal for this Oscar-worthy performance and film.

Perhaps Don's discovery is twofold: his potential to love others and himself. As Alexander Smith declared, "Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition."

broken flower, brilliant film making.

[come2whereimfrom · 7/10 · 28 April 2006]

This according to some people is Jim Jamusch's mainstream movie, well to me it is still an independent movie it just so happens that everyone likes it and rightly so. It is a subtle tale filled with meditations on life, ageing, love and loss. The film opens with a pink letter and the viewer sort of follows it on a mini road trip from post box to sort room to final delivery. It is a beautiful metaphor for the journey you are about to undertake with Bill Murray's character Don Johnston. Everything in this film is set up so well from Don's name (a cross between Don Johnson of Miami vice fame and Don Juan, both smooth ladies men in their own right) to the underage daughter of one of don's old flames called Lolita. The style of the film is paced slow allowing you time to wonder at Murray's dead dead dead pan delivery, it's the stuff that made watching him so enjoyable in 'The life aquatic' and 'lost in translation' but turned up a notch. From opening the anonymous letter to his subsequent journey through ex-girlfriends to try and find who sent it and if he really has a twenty-year-old son as the letter states, is beautifully crafted to keep you glued to the screen. It has elements of comedy but not so much jokes as more the absurdity of life and bizarre situations that can arise. The characters are so diverse your bound to spot someone you know in one of them. One of my favourite things about this film is how it addresses wanting children from a mans point of view, Don constantly says to his neighbour that he's not interested in finding out or even going and then he does the opposite, it is the male equivalent of being broody and it ends up with Don clutching at straws and almost saying 'someone, anyone please be my son?' With a well-chosen eclectic soundtrack from Jarmusch complimenting scene after scene the film flows from comedic highs to tender lows. Here Jim and Bill have committed a very special blend of cinematic magic to the screen, one that should be a good way for a mainstream audience to enjoy an indie film and realise it doesn't have to be all CGI and explosions to be brilliant film-making.

Another quiet and beautiful film

[mcshortfilm · 9/10 · 5 August 2005]

There has been a lot of talk that "Broken Flowers" is Jim Jarmusch's most commercially accessible film to date. One can almost hear Jarmusch muttering something reactionary like "commercial? That's just a label." It's a label that some Jarmusch fans might associate with "selling out". But selling out does not apply to Jim Jarmusch. He still has complete control of his work and is still the only American filmmaker who owns his own negatives. If "Broken Flowers" does break into the mainstream, it is nothing overly deliberate. Jarmusch makes familiar films that seem intimate in their tone. He toys with old themes while still leaving his films open to interpretation.

"Broken Flowers" is a travelogue and like most Jarmusch films, the story is more concerned with the journey but not so much about the destination. Bill Murray plays Don Johnston, a man who we know little about. We know he's single and we know he's had some flame's in the past. The last one just walked out on him. When Don receives an anonymous letter from one of these old flames, he learns that he has a twenty year old son who might be looking for him." Don thinks this is a joke but takes the advice from a friend to unfold the mystery by tracking down his past flings. He flies somewhere to a generic American place, rents a car and begins his investigation. Each ex has an individual personality but most of them share something similar. They are content and have moved on from the past. One of the ex's we meet works in real estate and decides it would be a good idea for her to get into the water business because "one day in the near future it will be more valuable then oil." The atmosphere is awkward and rather then care whether this woman is responsible for the anonymous letter, we just feel like getting out of there. The film's journey is absurd in many ways because we are never sure what the real point is. What is Don going to do if he does find his son? This where Bill Murray's credit as an actor shines through. We see from his small facial gestures that he is empty, and sad. There is a sense of longing as if life took a wrong turn somewhere and it is only now that he is realizing it. The ending of "Broken Flowers" is what really makes the film special. Don't expect too much or too little. Just see it. Its inspiring, hopeful and better then any other movie this year. The film also has a great soundtrack by Ethiopian musician, Mulatu Astatke. And we see in the credits that Jarmusch dedicated the film to French filmmaker Jean Eustache. Jean Eustache made a phenomenal film in the 1960's titled, "The Mother and The Whore". He had an influence on John Cassavetes and likewise both had an influence on Jim Jarmusch.

An Exquisite Little Film

[davetex · 9/10 · 15 May 2007]

I never saw this movie when it came to the theater. Later on, when it arrived on video, the clerks at the local store rolled their eyes and told stories of renters returning it and complaining that it wasn't funny and was boring. So I didn't rent it, being the mindless lemming that would listen to a video store clerk.

Then I stumbled across it on one of the TV movie channels and sat down and watched it. Perhaps it was the lack of any expectations on my part, but I found this movie fascinating. Bill Murray has cornered the market on middle aged male guilt and regret. Between this film, Lost in Translation and the Life Aquatic he presents us with a very real sense of what it means to be in your mid fifties and contemplating all that has been missed while pursuing something else.

The movie moves slowly, at a measured pace, but it has to, because that is how the story unfolds, with the protagonist moving down the road of his past reluctantly, and with trepidation and rightly so, because he has left skeletons behind. Many of them, it would appear.

Bill Murray was always my favorite SNL guy and he never disappoints, always taking whatever role he is given and doing it well, and doing it as only Bill Murray can. David Spade and Chevy Chase, eat your hearts out. Actually, just retire. But I digress.

The supporting cast deserves kudos as well. For once, I liked Sharon Stone in a movie. Francis Conroy does her Six Feet Under persona but manages to spin it a little differently, and Jessice Lange is mesmerizing as always. And Jeffrey Wright, as Winston is a perfect foil for the perpetually deadpan Murray.

But in fairness, I suspect that you have to be middle aged and male to really love this movie and all of its wisdom.

Jarmusch Goes Mainstream

[igm · 7/10 · 19 September 2005]

Broken Flowers is a departure for Jim Jarmusch, and not an altogether successful one. This film is decidedly more mainstream than anything Jarmusch has directed before. He inserts product from mapquest.com, Sharp, and Ford Taurus; shoots in color; and writes a character being admonished for smoking for starters. This isn't as radical a shift to mainstream as George Lucas going from THX-1138 to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. It's more like the Cohen brothers going from Blood Simple to Intolerable Cruelty.

Broken Flowers is highly structured and deliberately paced (i.e. slow), with an episodic format. Murray's character, Don Johnston, tries to reveal the identity of the woman who alerts him to the existence of his son, awkwardly reuniting with a succession of old flames. Murray's portrayal is fun to watch, and Sharon Stone is still magically delicious. The film has interesting things to say about the suburbs, the path not taken, bachelorhood, and the banality of travel. But it says little and hardly engages. It is the Odyssey with no reason to return home.

Still Lost

[NJMoon · 6/10 · 20 August 2005]

Broken flowers are at least still flowers - flawed but potentially still beautiful. Much the same goes for this Jim Jarmusch film, written expressly for actor Bill Murray. While Jarmusch's execution is masterly, the premise of the film is somewhat contrived - at least at first glance. Was Bill Murray really a 'Don Juan' figure twenty years ago? Even 30 years ago, when he was 'live' every Saturday night, this would be a specious claim at best. Hold this script in storage for (say) Antonio Banderas in two decades and I might buy it. Overkill on this concept quickly sets in having Murray watching a black and white film of "Don Juan" in his very first scene. And his character's first name? Don. But accepting Murray (if we must) as a Lothario, the film contrives to send him on a 'road trip' to find out if he has a son, despite a pink letter saying that the son would likely be coming to find HIM. And did I mention that his best friend and neighbor Winston is a part-time detective who spurns on Don's investigation of his parental status, complete with directions on what clues to look for and maps to the (star's) homes? Okay - all of the above is broken - flawed. But the film that embraces this premise is beautiful and sweet. Sometimes achingly so. Jarmusch is the Sam Beckett of screen writing and the pauses are telling. Murray is much better here on his home turf than negotiating alienation in Tokyo in LOST IN TRANSLATION. Here it is only himself that he must face - by encounters with his past. The performances here are first rate, including the women he must confront -stars Frances Conroy, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton. Filmgoers looking for Murray's trademark quips and a quick pace will be disappointed here. His stillness is what is telling. While in no need of a translation, Don is still quite lost. For those who require a pat ending, this film will also disappoint. That is, unless one ponders the less obvious theories about the origins of the pink letter. This is one of those rare but wonderful films that is almost more interesting on the drive home.

Pink flower arrangements

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 20 August 2005]

Jim Jarmusch returns to the screen with an immensely pleasing film that looks extremely simple, but in fact, it's what is not being said that really is at the center of the picture. Mr. Jarmusch is one director that loves to work with an economy of everything. His films seem to be crying for a set decorator, but that is misleading, because it's the simplicity that seems to work in most cases.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you should stop reading here.

At the center of the story is Don Johnston, whose name seems to provoke in most people a recognition by associating it to the actor, Don Johnson. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Don is a taciturn man, who when we meet him is being dumped by his last girlfriend.

Don Johnston, with his deadpan demeanor, appears to be a man that has gone through life on auto pilot. In fact, when he receives the letter that will, in a way, change his life, he doesn't even react. His solution to the problem is to show this letter to his next door neighbor, Winston. Little does Don knows, but Winston maps out a plan to get him involved in the solution of the mystery he is presented. We accompany Don in a trip of discovery to reacquaint himself with former lovers who might have been instrumental in sending the pink letter.

Thus we meet Laura, the closet organizer, a widow now, living with a precocious daughter, Lolita, who seems to have jumped from the Nabokov's book, in all her precociousness. Then, there is Dora, the real estate woman who lives in a development in which all the houses look alike. We meet Carmen, the pet communicator, a sort of animal analyst who has turned her love interest another way. Finally, we are given a glimpse of Penny, who couldn't care less to see Don one more time.

The opening sequence that sets the story in motion is nothing but perfection. We watch the fateful letter at the beginning when it's being dropped in the mail box right up to its delivery through Don's mail slot.

Jim Jarmusch, and his amazing cast have done wonders with this film. Bill Murray is sensational as the jaded Don Johnston. Once again, this actor clearly shows he is at the top of the game. Jeffrey Wright, one of the best young actors working in films and in the theater these days, makes a valuable contribution as Winston. The women in Don's life are fantastic. Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Julie Delpy, Tilda Swinton, and Jessica Lange are seen at their best. Finally, two excellent turns by Alexis Dziena as Lolita and Chloe Sevigny as an assistant to Carmen.

Mr. Jarmusch has created a film that says a lot about how modern relationships are being practiced these days.

Broken Flowers

[cultfilmfan · 7/10 · 19 August 2005]

Broken Flowers, is about a lonely and quiet bachelor named Don Johnston, who lives in a big house and basically lies around all day. Don, recently breaks up with his girlfriend Sherry. Don, lives next door to an interesting man named Winston, who likes to look up information and investigate people on the internet. One day Don gets a letter in the mail from a woman (who does not sign the letter) and says that her son is Don's and that he is coming to visit Don, to see who his father really is. Don, shows the note to Winston, and Winston tells Don, to make a list of all the girls he has been with in the past. Don, makes a list of five people and Winston gets information on all of them including where they live and sets out a traveling course for Don, to go and see them to find out which one is the mother of his child. Don, goes on this journey and meets these women he has not seen in years to find out the truth about the letter and notices how much some of these women have changed since he last knew them. Broken Flowers, has good direction, a good script, good performances by the whole cast, good cinematography and good film editing. The film is written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, who has brought us such offbeat delights as Down By Law, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai and Coffee And Cigarettes, and all of those I liked a lot. But, I was disappointed with Broken Flowers. It was not a bad film in any way but it is slow and it often tries to make witty and smart jokes and be funny but for the most part the jokes don't work and they are not funny. The film also lacks energy and it doesn't have as interesting characters or situations as past Jarmusch films who shows he can whip up some really good conversations like in Coffee And Cigarettes. I didn't really find any of the characters that interesting and at times it was hard to relate to characters in the film and wonder at the end what the point of the movie was. It was still mildly entertaining and I liked their performances and some of the creative scenes so for that I'am slightly recommending this but it doesn't work on a whole as well as past Jarmusch movies that were virtually ignored while this one is getting a lot of buzz.

If I were to make a list of the worst movies Bill Murray has been in, this movie would make the list.

[Movieguy_blogs_com · 2/10 · 7 September 2005]

If I were to make a list of the worst movies Bill Murray has been in, this movie would make the list. Bill Murray plays an aged Don Juan who finds out that he may have a son he doesn't know about. When his current girlfriend dumps him, he reluctantly decides to track down some of his former girlfriends. He encounters one awkward reunion after another, with the intent to find out who might be the mother.

Although this movie kept my interest, there is little if no pay out in the end. It is very short on laughs, if any. It is really hard to come up with any redeeming qualities for this film. I'm told the director (Jim Jarmusch) tries to tell the tale about a man's choices in life and how he learns to live with them, but who cares? It is hard to feel sorry for Don; he is independently wealthy with an uncanny knack with the ladies. Sure he has trouble forming long-term relationships. But maybe if he stopped checking out every young girl that comes his way, he would not have this problem.

There are a lot of other stars in this (Sharon Stone and Jessica Lange to name a few), but they contribute little to an already poorly written film. I cannot believe this movie did so well at the Cannes Film Festival!

JARMISH+MURRAY=Brilliance

[wonderjo · 9/10 · 6 August 2005]

I can't say I'm a Jim Jarmish fan. However, this collaboration with Bill Murray brought the best out of both of them. Bill is just amazing anyway. His acting draws the viewer in to his world. The saying " less is more" Murray epitomizes. Jarmish plays with the same idea and allows silence to act in this film. The mood the stark film quality and story give all the actors room to breath. Every scene is an evolution into unfolding feeling.

Basically, this film seemed written for Murray's effortlessness acting style. Yet Murray's character is played at first with almost totally non-vulnerability… you want him to open up. But all the time you see glimmers of him doing just that and then you even appreciate his stuck-ness.

All the other actors are wonderful as well. I have seen Sharon Stone's acting as someone trying to hard, but people, she was just crazy and alive in her role in this film. She changed my mind. Jessica Lange's performance is just perfect. What a woman. All in all I must give this film 2 thumbs up and my big toes are saluting it as well. Funny, thoughtful and very entertaining. Bravo.

A Delight!

[namashi_1 · 10/10 · 13 August 2015]

'Broken Flowers' is a delight. A terrific little film, about an aging Don Juan, who embarks on a journey of a lifetime. Jim Jarmusch & Bill Murray offer a story, that is funny, melancholic but ultimately, rewarding.

'Broken Flowers' Synopsis: As the extremely withdrawn Don Johnston is dumped by his latest woman, he receives an anonymous letter from a former lover informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. A freelance sleuth neighbor moves Don to embark on a cross-country search for his old flames in search of answers.

'Broken Flowers' works from start to end. Reason? The magnificently Written Screenplay by Jarmusch himself, is incredibly engaging & engrossing. You are with the protagonist & its fun to tag along in his journey, where he ends up reliving his youth. I was throughly engrossed even by its supporting characters. Jarmusch has penned every character solidly. Jarmusch's Direction is applaud-worthy, as always. 'Broken Flowers' is undoubtedly amongst his finest films to date.

Bill Murray is astonishing here. The Acting Legend delivers an unforgettable turn as the man who must catch up with what he left behind. Murray portrays his part with remarkable conviction. After Lost In Translation, this is his best performance to date.

The Supporting Cast also deliver wonderfully. Sharon Stone leads the pack & is excellent. Frances Conroy is genuinely affecting, while Jessica Lange is mature. Jeffrey Wright is fantastic, in a meaty role. Christopher McDonald is first-rate. Julie Delpy & Tilda Swintion shine in cameos, as well.

On the whole, 'Broken Flowers' works on every level. A Must Watch!

Sublime and meditative; Murray gives a performance for the ages

[pere-25366 · 7/10 · 20 May 2019]

In Broken Flowers (2005), Jarmusch seems to be conveying a mood, rather than a straight-forward story, in which we as the viewer embark on a cross-country search with Don Johnston (played by Bill Murray in perhaps his best performance) filled with self-reflection and the revisiting of old memories. Murray portrays Johnston as a worn-out individual, whom at one time likely lived a life of great vigor but in the present state lives on the outskirts of society, idle and apathetic. He revisits old flames and seeks out answers that he never really gets. But such is life and Jarmusch understands this and lets this unfold beautifully.

A Nutshell Review: Broken Flowers

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 31 December 2005]

Folks from my generation will always associate Bill Murray with Mr-stay-calm-know-it-all Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters, along with fellow comedians and collaborators Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis. Of late, he has been playing nonchalant characters, and probably would be better remembered for his role in Lost in Translation opposite Scarlett Johansson.

Maybe it's his style, that he projects he's sleepwalking through his roles, And this written-for-him role in Broken Flowers as Don Johnson, oops, I mean Don Johnston (with a T, there's a running joke about the Miami Vice fella), a Don Juan type character, seems to have cemented that opinion.

Don changes girlfriends like he changes his underwear. Not that he wants to, but his character makes him a difficult person to be with. We're led to believe that he has made enough from his computer business, and is in semi-retirement mode, doing nothing but watch television at the comfort of his home. His latest squeeze, played by Julie Delpy, has left him (gee what a cameo), and so did countless others before her.

But the pace picks up slightly (it moves terribly slow throughout the movie) when he receives a pink envelope, and inside a typewritten note, telling him that he has a son from an affair twenty years ago, and that son is now on a road trip looking for his father. However, the writer doesn't sign off, there is no return address, and the postmark is faded.

Putting it off as a prank, Don's best friend Winston (Jeffrey Wright) tries so hard to infuse interest and curiosity into Don (he's always putting on the deadpan facial expression), before Don finally, and reluctantly, accepts the itinerary given to him. Which is to revisit his old flames from around that time, to determine if they have in possession a typewriter, which probably was used to type that anonymous letter.

You might think that the premise is interesting, though nothing new, like Chris O'Donnell's The Bachelor, or John Cusack's High Fidelity, where the protagonist revisits his ex-lovers to discover various happenings and encounter various weird situations. Here, we have a load of talent playing Don's girlfriends from the past, like Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, and even Tilda Swinton (the White Witch from Narnia) with dark hair.

Winner of Cannes Film Festival 2005, be warned that this film is an acquired taste, and may not appeal or be enjoyed by many. Firstly, the pacing is slow. There are plenty of moments where the plot doesn't propel forward, and shots just stay where they are. Almost every transition from scene to scene utilizes the fade-to-black technique, and each scene is surprisingly short.

Perhaps these techniques fit the Don character like a glove, highlighting his short relationships with each girl, and his indifference to the outcome of each relation. We see that each girl has moved on with her life, some married, some having children, some already successful in their business, and all totally in contrast with Don's laid back character. It is during these scenes of character interaction that we get to experience some comedy, otherwise the other half of the time, we see the usual repetitive shots in airplanes or inside a Ford Taurus, as if to highlight the monotony of travelling alone.

Though it's rated NC-16 for some nudity here, the only nudity you get is from a character called Lolita (Alexis Dziena, who plays Sharon Stone's daughter), and that's only a butt-shot. The entire scene (which I think is full frontal) gets edited out, and along goes the dialogue with it, which somehow screws up the entire episode. There are nuances and implications towards the end of that particular visit which will make you go "Huh?". Pity. Given the crowd in today's screening, I don't think an M18 or R21 is gonna hurt box office takings (school's reopening as well). Now, with that bad edit, I'm sure many will steer clear.

The ending is open ended, and is totally up to your interpretation. My take would be that while one half of the mystery is solved (or perceived to be solved), the other half of the mystery is still out there. And by leaving it as such, it paves way for discussion, which always enrich the experience of watching a movie.

A subtle, quiet, quirky, and largely interpretable drama

[BroadswordCallinDannyBoy · 8/10 · 21 November 2006]

Don Johnston, that's "with a T," has been left by his latest girlfriend and has also received an anonymous letter from what can only be a former flame. It states that he has a 19 year-old son who is looking for him. With the persuasion of an odd, but well meaning neighbor, he sets out to figure things out in his slow and uneventful life.

With a large focus on sensationalism these days, even in dramas, even in good dramas, like History of Violence and Crash, there is always usually that element of the extraordinary. Huge life changing experiences that not only change the protagonist, but everyone around them. Inner racial tensions shoot out like a shell out of a cannon or a violent past hits a character like a freight train. But here, Jim Jarmusch gives us... nothing. A boring man who could care less about anything. Who just drives and dully interacts with his former girlfriends. Barely showing any sort of exterior emotions to even some truly unexpected surprises. Like Murray in the lead, Jarmusch chucks in a lot of subtleties here and there. And like Murray in the lead, these subtle hints of what is really going on hardly lead anywhere unless the viewer decides they do.

It also works out as anything but a turn off or anticlimax (holycrap, did I just say that?), but rather gets you to think back to what you saw. And it REALLY points out the impact of relative perception to events past with those complex creatures known as humans. --- 8/10

Rated R, but really has minimal profanity and brief nudity.

Those after plot / unambiguity may hate it, but let it's jazzy feel carry you amd you might just dig it... maybe

[danieljfarthing · 6/10 · 12 June 2022]

In iconic writer / director Jim Jarmusch's gently downbeat 2005 drama "Broken Flowers" Bill Murray's an aging lothario who on being dumped by latest squeeze Julie Delph recieves a mystery letter telling him he had a son 20yrs ago. Pushed by friend & neighbor Jeffrey Wright (good) he embarks on a road / plane trip (with a soft jazzy soundtrack) to re-visit old-flames Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange (both beautiful), Tilda Swinton, & Frances Conroy - in the hope of identifying the 'mum'. Those craving 'plot' (and an unambiguous ending) will be sorely disappointed, but those willing to let the 'feel' of it float over them (meaninglessly or not) may dig this one. Quirky.

Bill Murray hits his stride

[sp27343 · 8/10 · 7 September 2005]

In this movie Bill's character is very similar to his "Lost in Translation" role. A late middle age guy who's losing touch with himself. I think this role was written especially for Bill, as LIT showcased his transformation from comic actor to a serious dramatic role guy. While I can't say I loved this movie (as it really left things hanging at the end) I liked it a lot. Sharon Stone and Jessica Lange acted their small supporting roles with grace, while Tilda Swindon's spot was the exact opposite, and fleeting as well. Julie Delpy's talents were wasted as well. If a little more time had been spent on the script and wound up the story to some closure it would have been a truly superior film. As presented, it was good, but not great. Still I liked it enough to see it twice.

Disappointed Again

[isabelle1955 · 31 May 2006]

Maybe it's me; maybe I'm getting old… But yet again a supposedly clever, intelligent, smart movie about relationships and life has let me down. This is another one I missed at the theatre release but caught up with on DVD, only to end up yawning and wishing I hadn't bothered. Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration, I won't go that far. It's always interesting to watch a new movie, especially one you have specifically sought out, as I did Broken Flowers. But when it finished my response was a shrug of "So what?" And it co-starred one of my favorite actors too, the quite wonderful Jeffrey Wright (who was so superb in Angels in America) as Winston, which to me was an extra incentive to watch this. But even Wright failed to engage me this time. Perhaps that sums up my entire response to the film – it never fully engaged me.

Bill Murray is an interesting guy, I enjoyed Ground Hog Day and I thought Lost in Translation very good. Even that supposed oceanography saga from a couple of years back was mildly entertaining (if only because I spent 7 years at sea on ocean survey ships and could giggle at how ludicrous the story was). But I'm beginning to get the feeling when I see Bill Murray on screen these days, that he's basically playing Bill Murray. That bemused, ironic guy, been everywhere, done everything, "I'm just a helpless passenger on the train of life" act, is wearing thin for me. I want to see him play a serial killer or a gay tap dancer. Not another middle aged Lothario.

Don Johnston (Murray) has just split up with another woman (an occurrence which seems to fill him with nothing more than apathy), when he receives a mysterious pink, girly letter in the mail, suggesting that he has a 19 year old son. Narrowing the mother down to a field of 4 potential brood mares, he is egged on by his neighbor Winston (Wright) to tour some of his old haunts looking for his son, the mother and perhaps his own life too.

Winston apparently fixes this trip up for Don, an act of altruism I found more than a little unlikely, and Don obediently does what he's told and trots off on his journey of discovery. Yes he's lived a fairly self centered life, yes he's failed to sustain a long term relationship. Am I supposed to feel sorry for him, or learn something appropriate about my own existence from this? Hell, the guy has a beautiful house, apparently lots of money (he can travel where and when he wants), a string of good looking sex partners and what looks like a pretty pleasant life. Watching this after a long and tedious week at work and chasing round after my own two kids, I envied the guy! Don't mess it up Don! Trash the letter and stay home! You're doing just fine the way you are… The film puzzled me, because I couldn't decide whether we were supposed to take it at face value – Winston really does fix up trip and Don really can just up sticks and go at a moment's notice – or whether there is supposed to be an element of magic here and it's really just a fairy tale. Which is possible, but either way I didn't really care much. Maybe I'm not intelligent enough to "get it?" One bright spot was the quite delightful naked Lolita, and Sharon Stone was good value too. Oh how I wanted to Don to engage in some reckless and possibly illegal fun with Lolita while mother cooked dinner, but he was too apathetic to even do that! The dialogue was all unreal and the outcome fairly unexciting.

If this was intended to be some kind of life lesson for us lesser mortals, I'm afraid I'm just too bitter and twisted to appreciate it. Dull. Again. Oh dear.

'The past is gone, I know that. The future isn't here yet... All we've got is this.'

[jamiedarlow-37510 · 7/10 · 7 April 2020]

A very somber and dryly comic account of a man chasing after what he may have missed out on. Don Johnston (Bill Murray) is a lonely bachelor, freshly dumped by his latest girlfriend. One day, he receives an anonymous letter in pink informing him that he has a 19 year old son who may be journeying out to find him. Don embarks on a journey cross country to visit old flames and find who sent him the letter. Perhaps Jim Jarmusch's most well known film is also one of his most drawn out; it's not afraid to take its time and also importantly doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a genuinely well made mystery with lots of ifs and buts which, due to some viewers frustrations, may be left unanswered. It's ambiguous ending is going to turn off a lot of people but I think it makes quite a brilliant statement about the unknown. Bill Murray is legendary and is really watchable in anything so it's great to see him in a lead role here! There are also fantastic cameos from Sharon Stone, Chloe Sevigny and Jessica Lange and, although it's a fairly non-eventful film which is part of the point it's making, it's still pretty engaging from start to finish thanks to its performances. The final panning shot is absolutely brilliant and showcases what a great actor Murray is! Ultimately, it's a film about the uncertainty that runs through life if we choose to obsess about things. The more we actively look for the answers, the least likely we are to get them in concrete

Misunderstood Movie

[guitarra89 · 7/10 · 24 April 2006]

I saw that this movie was criticized because of the lack of character development and some stated that the dialogue was 'dull'. However, the way that the movie was presented seemed to show that this was made to have no character development and no typical Hollywood flashy dialogue on purpose. It seemed to have a real-world feel to it. In normal life, an ordinary person would not experience a major (or any) shift in his/her character within a couple of days(or even in their lifetime). This is the case in Broken Flowers. The character of Don is presented and well drawn, but yes he does not truly change or develop as is the case in a regular formulaic Hollywood movie. The dialogue goes along with the theme and abstains from funny little quips and one-liners. The audience is left wanting more because the plot does not wrap itself up nicely- just as a conflict would not resolve itself immaculately in everyday life. If you are a person who enjoys short stories and independent films then I recommend this. It is all about what to look for and what to expect.

Good but uneven film

[tomrito · 8/10 · 20 September 2005]

Broken flowers, written expressly for actor Bill Murray, is a good film with great acting but it suffers from what I think is an independent film theme of being too slow while trying to be thought provoking. I do not agree with other reviews that believe the premise of the film is somewhat contrived. I have no problem believing that Bill Murray really was a 'Don Juan' figure twenty years ago. Any one who can not believe this must know little about the seduction of a woman. Even as he is now in the film he would have no problem with many of the younger women he meets. It's not about that, it's about relationships and what is important to a person in his lifetime. That is what he comes face to face with as the film progresses. What I don't like about the film is that it is not smooth in its presentation. Any work of art, be it film or a novel, has a responsibility to be uniformly fluid. I found this lacking in the film. Even the character of Winston, who is the part-time detective who initiates the whole investigation, is bland and lackluster. What others feel is a stillness that is telling, I find as a monotonous flaw in film making. I have no problem with the acting or the ending. Over all this is one very interesting film that I would recommend to anyone but it is not a great film, which it could have been.

Jim Jarmush understands womens feelings

[pascaloetterli · 7/10 · 17 August 2015]

I recently watched "Night on Earth" by Director Jim Jarmusch. Besides being a typical Arthaus movie, I didn't know, what to write about it and decided to give it a rewatch. "Broken Flowers" made it easier for me and I really liked it. Bill Murray is perfect in the role of a notorious womanizer trying to find out which one of his former partners wrote him a letter that she had a son with him. He's going for a search in the whole country, which makes this movie looking like a different kind of roadmovie. The women are played by great actresses such as Delpy, Lange, Stone, Conroy and Sevigny. The story is very straightforward, it all comes down to the interaction between Don and the women. It's at once comedy and drama, but nothing emotionally strong. To me it had something of a roadmovie and had also that "Up in the Air" travelling feeling.

It's a fine film with some great moments but likewise it was not outstanding either. Jim Jarmusch is loved by the female audience and this movies shows why: he understands them well and his female characters are interesting. He's like the American Almodovar. You must like this kind of movie-making and most importantly: you must like Bill Murray.

A strange little film...

[edinburghstoryteller · 7/10 · 19 April 2006]

Jim Jarmusch hovers dangerously on the edge of being pretentious quite a lot of the time. He stepped wholeheartedly onto the bad side of that line with Coffee and Cigarettes but managed to completely avoid it when he made the outstanding Ghost Dog, back in '99. With this movie, he falls somewhere in between, but definitely closer to the good side than the bad.

Bill Murray's last few performances have shown that he is an actor of real quality and this is no exception. He plays this part beautifully and the writer doesn't really give him a huge amount to sink his teeth into, which makes that fact all the more impressive.

The story is very simple and really nicely handled. This movie shows how much you can do with very little, as long as you do the important stuff well. If you want a clutching-your-sides comedy then look elsewhere but if you're after something different, sedate and thoughtful with some amusing moments then you could do a lot worse than this one.