The latest from Jim Jarmusch is an odd and interesting picture that looks fantastic, has some nice moments, but leaves one scratching their head almost as much as they are enjoying the picture.
The film follows and unnamed man who is “on the job” but we are never really led on to what that job is for almost the entirety of the film. Dealing with cryptic messages passed along to him in similar matchbox’s, which he in turn eats the piece of paper it was written on, the unnamed man moves from meet to meet, collecting information for his ultimate goal, which we assume is a criminal act of some sort. Whether he is a hitman, a thief, or something else, we are never entirely sure till the act happens, but the Lone Man’s process, everyday life, meticulous nature, and the many encounters he has with his random messengers are the focus of the film. After a quick meeting in an airport somewhere in Spain, The Lone Man is off on a plane to an unnamed city in Spain where he quietly awaits his first message doing a form of martial arts, visiting the local art museum, and drinking “two espressos, separate cups” at the corner café. The only interaction he has with his messengers is a brief conversation, usually very one-sided to that of the messenger, outside a mysterious naked female visitor [Read more...]