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Reviews: music & film
MOVIES
Broken Flowers
R. 106 minutes. Liberty Hall
★★★
Bill Murray has sullen down to an art ry knows. When she notices a pink en-
form. The same actor who
器
form. The same actor who played off-the-wall characters in Stripes and Caddyshack 20 years ago has made a second career for himself by playing a string of depressed men going through mid-life crises, in such movies as Lost in Translation and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. He does it again in Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers, a film carried by Murray's unique and hilarious deadpan stare.
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The film opens with Murray's character, Don, being left by his latest girlfriend, Sherry (Julie Delpy). We learn that Johnston is a lothario who's had many girlfriends in his day, a fact Sher-
velope mixed in with the regular mail, she points out that it must be from one of his other girlfriends. She isn't far off.
The envelope contains an unsigned letter from an ex-girlfriend informing Don that he has a son somewhere. When Don shows the letter to his neighbor Winston (Jeffrey Wright), Don blows off the letter as a prank, but Winston, a hardcore mystery-lover, sinks
his teeth in. For Don, he creates a list of possible women who could be the mother of his child and a travel itinerary to visit them all. He also throws in a mix CD of cheesy, detective-sounding Latin
music. one of the film's nice touches.
Don visits the list of exes, including a widow (Sharon Stone) with a sexually liberated daughter aptly named Lolita, a real estate agent shaken to see Don again (Frances Conroy), an animal communicator (Jessica Lange), also not enthusiastic to see Don and a tough bikertype (Tilda Swinton).
So, does Don find out who and where his son is? I will not say here, but I don't think that's the point of the movie. It's a film of self-discovery, of how Don got to be so unhappy and unenthusiastic about his life and how the potential of having a family could change that. At the least, it would probably get Bill Murray to smile.
- Jon Ralston
The Constant Gardener
R, 129 minutes, South Wind 12
☆☆☆1/2
The Constant Gardener is a well-executed "romantic thriller" with a formulaic plot that unfolds in a fascinating setting. British diplomat Justin (Ralph Fiennes) takes his wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), to Kenya. There, her uncompromising activism puts her on the blacklist of corrupt politicians and greedy corporations — with fatal results.
Fortunately, the film has better things to do than deliver a parable of corporate greed. It would much rather follow the path of a passing Kenyan or hover in front of Rachel Weisz's smile. It isn't a slow film, but it does take its time about things. So you may want to leave your MTV-weakened attention span at
home. The camera lingers lovingly on the streets of Nairobi and the pores of Ralph Fiennes' nose. There's suspense, too, but not the edge-of-your-seat variety.
The Constant Gardener treats its characters with respect, affection and humor, and a touching post-mortem love story is given center stage. But the film doesn't sustain its delicacy of touch. Before long, the twists are untwisted, the bad guys declare themselves, and the film's love story is doused in bathos. All this makes the denouement more emotionally satisfying, but fails to make the movie better.
-Kit Fluker
MUSIC
The Pale Pacific Urgency
☆☆☆
In this album, The Pale Pacific creates spacey, indie/emo rock putting the band alongside other acts like Feeder and La Guardia. While most of the bands in this genre stick to a guitar-heavy approach, The Pale Pacific utilizes keyboards on several of the tracks. Vocally they bring to mind the frail vocals of Copeland and Bright Eyes.
Upon receiving Urgency by The Pale Pacific last week, I figured the CD would be added to my collection of coasters to keep my Dr. Pepper from perspiring on the table. But after listening to it a few times, I realized my misjudgment. This was one of the best albums I have heard in the last few months.
Aside from the two clunkers of the album — "Written Down" and "Identity Theft" — this is a great effort. From the ELO-sounding "If Only She'd Leave Town" to the Sigur-Ros-influenced "Fall To Place," Urgency packs a strong punch of somber organs and light drums that make this one of the more interesting releases in the indie/emo genre I've heard this year.
—Chris Brower
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Jayplay 09.08.05
16] Jayplay 09.08.05