Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch | 110 min | ▲▲▲ | on VOD
This is more Night On Earth than, say, Paterson.
We’re not getting the quirky intensity of Down By Law or the dark grandeur of Only Lovers Left Alive, probably my favourite of all Jarmusch’s work. Father Mother Sister Brother may be a little closer to Coffee And Cigarettes, which is a footnote in his career, but to its credit, Father Mother Sister Brother gets better as it goes along, offering playful recurring jokes and expressions reminding us of Jarmusch’s sharp, self-referential wit. It’s a lot less silly (and angry) than The Dead Don’t Die.
Like Night On Earth, it’s an anthology set in various international locations, though only three this time, and each has a portion of its narrative take place in cars. Unfortunately, the old-fashioned Poor Man’s Process has been downgraded to something that looks a lot like The Volume. It’s a technique that I’m sure saves some dollars but looks so artificial all the scenes in said autos immediately took me out of the movie.
As usual, Jarmusch brings together an excellent cast. We get so little of Tom Waits the musician these days, but it’s always a pleasure to see him act. He’s father to Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik, who drive out into the sticks for an awkward visit with him. It’s charming, but the first chapter of this picture doesn’t amount to much.
The second is more engaging. It’s hard to forget the stupid things Charlotte Rampling has said in public in the past, and it’s also hard to ignore what a gifted actor she is. Her eyes and face convey so much — judgment, control, and compassion, not necessarily in that order. Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps bring an odd flavour as her mismatched daughters, all coming together at mom’s suburban Dublin home on a rare occasion for tea. Finally, we have Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat as twins exploring gorgeous Parisienne side streets and the mysteries of what their absent parents have left them. This is a wonderful, melancholy conclusion to the triptych.
So, what is it all about? A somewhat stagey but scrappily entertaining look at how adult children disconnect from their older parents, fathers and mothers who while living their lives might’ve prioritized themselves over their kids at one time or another. It’s also a joy, after all this time, to have another new Jarmusch. Long may he run.
