Bill Murray takes a cross country journey in search of his potential son in Jim Jarmusch’s BROKEN FLOWERS. Murray plays Don Johnston, a past-his-prime Casanova, who has become rich thanks to the computer craze, but has yet to find happiness. Don receives an anonymous letter in the mail claiming that he has fathered a child, and that his 19-year old son is en route to find him. His neighbor Winston views the letter, and decides it’s time for Don to take action. Winston researches all of the potential mothers, creates a cross-country itinerary and sets Don out on his search.
Don Johnston and Warren Schmidt have completely different lifestyles, but have a lot in common. Alexander Payne’s Schmidt and Jarmusch’s Johnston are both aging men who are realizing their lives haven’t amounted to much. BROKEN FLOWERS is more off-beat and quirky than ABOUT SCHMIDT, but at times it’s just as enriching. Murray is ideal as Johnston, a lost soul, whom after years of romancing beautiful women and making tons of money, has little to show for it. Throughout the years, Murray’s performances have contained more internal strife. With Don, he’s able to project this with a worn face, lackadaisical demeanor and deep, sorrowful glares. Murray’s Don is terrific, but the film’s actresses are just as crucial. Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton, Jessica Lange and most-of-all Brea Frazier bring a unique nature to their characters, and help to explain Don’s condition. BROKEN FLOWERS uniquely explains the heartache after the romance.
Grade: B+
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