Broken Flowers
Bill Murray is one of my favorite comedians. I grew up with him in movies such as Ghostbusters, What About Bob?, and Groundhog Day. Currently he is having a lot of success playing a role as a soul-searching middle-aged man in movies such as Lost In Translation, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and now Broken Flowers.
In Broken Flowers, Bill Murray plays the role of Don Johnston who embarks on a journey to talk with all of his ex-girlfriends. The journey was planned by his friend and amateur detective Winston (played by Jeffrey Wright) and ignited by an anonymous note that Don received that informed him he had a 19 year-old son that was perhaps searching for him. Intrigued by the proposition of having a son, Don agrees to go on the journey that Winston had set out for him.
This movie may not have been possible without the brilliant acting of Bill Murray. With his slight facial movements, the viewer is immersed into his character’s thoughts. The movie itself has its own pace, mostly tied together with somewhat unpredictable cut-shots with a fade transition. The movie made me think about the decisions that I make in life and how they could easily lead me to end up living in a different state, or a different part of the country. Also, the movie reminded me of how diverse people can be (yet this is probably slightly exaggerated in Broken Flowers).
It’s a good movie with a good (yet abrupt) ending. It’s rated R for nudity and language, so don’t bring the kids along. Ebert & Roeper call this the best movie of the summer, and I would have to agree!
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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