"Speaking in Tongues" - Down By Law

Note: That little ditty I do where it says “Speaking In Tongues” is all about a series in the CEO of the temporary organization behind a film: the director.  It is also an attempt to get an idea of their interests, style, motivations, and character through views at their work.  In this case, I’m going to try and get to more films of Jarmusch (as I have just finished watching like….10!) but will move through them one at a time, and probably in a disparate manner. 

Plot:  Three men, unacquainted with each other overall, end up in jail for crimes they claim they were framed for; two fight and bond for a while until the third comes into the picture, inflicting a shot of much needed inspiration hilarity, driving them to escape.

What a fresh and fun independent movie; truly fantastic, especially as it defied many expectations for me, the viewer.  The beginning of the film gives us a brief (yet kind of sloooowwww) introduction to each of the protagonists before they get arrested and subsequently joined together.  At this moment, we move beyond the idiosyncratic unknown of the first act to what one could call the idiosyncratic adventure of three escaped convicts. 

Anyone who has seen Stranger than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch’s debut feature, arguably) know of the director’s affinity for slow pace, beautiful black and white cinematography, and slight, dry humor.  He continues much of that style here, only making the canvas grander to fit the motivated characters he has created, much different when compared to the slackers in the previously mentioned film.

Besides the wonderfully odd situations and settings the protagonists and we discover, the main star of the film has to be Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful, AKA “crazy Oscar winner”) who truly steals every scene he’s in.  Of course we have frequent Jarmusch collaborators John Lurie and Tom Waits (who also wrote soundtrack) performing admirably here; one cannot help but laugh though when Benigni’s blissfully innocent Italian immigrant says one line of dialogue, or even just reacts to something.  All three together create make an altogether interesting and diverse group of souls trying to find a way out of there ill-fitted predicament.

I must admit there were times I stressed and fretted the film would go nowhere, but one can say such things about every Jarmusch film if they never acclimate.  There are meandering times ahead, and moments foreboding anguish and boredom.  Fear not however, as you will be taken on a very satisfying journey through neighborhoods, prison, forests, and an oddly placed Italian restaurant.  One must recommend packing tools to get you through: patience...