BBC - collective - Coffee and Cigarettes

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Coffee and Cigarettes
by: Smiley Ben 18 july 04

rating:

Strange selection of still-framed shorts.

Jim Jarmusch's latest independent-but-in-with-the-bigwigs feature is actually a collection of shorts he's been putting together since 1986. All two or three person conversations, all taking place with healthy quantities of the eponymous vices, we hear about everything from caffeine ice-lollies to Elvis' evil twin. Some of the pieces work better than others, and it is a pity that there is no great cohesion between them (though no unified whole seems to have been intended). The film frequently strays into 'look at all the famous people I know' territory - and these are clearly the least interesting of the bunch.

Having said all that, many of the shorts are a real pleasure to watch, and where else could you see Jack White explaining the marvel of the tesla coil to his sister, or Alfred Molina discovering that Steve Coogan is his cousin. A film that features Steve Bushemi, Cate Blanchett and Iggy Pop must have something for everyone, so worth a look if your up for some ecclectic and patchy fun.

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