As I'm driving to see Coffee and Cigarettes, I pass a billboard informing me that movies that feature smoking are going to increase the likelyhood of kids taking up smoking. I would have paid good money to see the reaction of the people who paid for that ad to this particular movie. In my mind, I see a lot of sputtering and frothing at the mouth, possibly followed by some sort of seizure. I get a ridiculous amount of pleasure from that thought. It doesn't have anything to do with this movie but it is a fun thought.
Apart from generating fits in crusading thought police, Coffee and Cigarettes isn't likely to cause a stir. What do you expect from a movie that devotes considerable time to studying the awkward pause? The movie has no plot or story. It is a series of black and white vignettes, connected only by consumption of the titular substances. All of the shorts are about people talking while smoking and drinking coffee. As a whole, the film is uneven, bouncing between brilliance and tedium.
Short films are perfect for a social activity that mostly occurs in short bursts. Out of habit from watching other short films, I kept expecting twists or punchlines to close out each segment but true to the nature of a coffee or smoke break, the end when time is up or someone finishes a cigarette or simply when someone grows tired of the conversation. Most of the segments end with one person walking off on the other, leaving them alone to finish their cigarette.
The segments are at their best when keeping us off guard. The opening conversation between comedian Steven Wright and actor Roberto Benigni plays with the two men's famous styles. Wright's unhurried deadpan delivery is in direct contrast with Benigni's manic personality. The conclusion to their meeting makes no sense but in light of the conversation that preceded, it works. Another great segment has Tom Coogan coming to meet Alfred Molina. It is very funny to watch Coogan's disinterest and condescension evaporate in an instant when he suddenly realizes the potential of the meeting. Then there is the segment where Bill Murray, under cover as a waiter, sits down to discuss herbal remedies with RZA and GZA of the Wu Tang Clan. None of these segments are anything you could expect and that gives them a lot of charm.
On the other hand, there are segments that border on coma inducing. One sequence features a young male waiter endlessly pestering a female customer with offers to refill her coffee, which she doesn't want. That's it. There is momentary amusement at her choice of reading material but otherwise, it's a snoozer.
Writer/director Jim Jarmusch has been producing these shorts for years now. That is particularly evident in how young Benigni looks. Jarmusch has a great ability to collect diverse celebrities and have them play on their personalities. For instance, one segment has Iggy Pop and Tom Waits meeting for coffee. The two spend the conversation trying to out-cool each other and yet never seem totally sure that the other is playing the same game. It's certainly not what you would expect from a couple of legendary rockers. That's the sort of irritated edge that makes much of the film entertaining, or at least fascinating. It chucks out the social backlash on smoking, largely ignores how bad caffeine is for you and instead focuses on people in all their awkward unprepared incoherent glory. The scenes never seem planned. They give the impression that Jarmusch picked the actors, gave them the basis for a conversation and then stood back filming to see what would happen.
While a lot of the performers are just being themselves, there are some moments of really great acting. Tom Coogan's performance is wonderful, playing up all the necessary reactions to bring home the segment's theme beautifully. Cate Blanchett has a great time playing against herself. She plays a dual role as herself and an envious cousin. If you watched that segment and wondered who played the cousin, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. She's that good.
Coffee and Cigarettes will likely charm the art house crowd, baffle the cineplex crowd and irritate the hell out of the tobacco haters. I could like it for that reason alone if it didn't also stand on its own merits.
- John Shea
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