Broken Flowers

Broken Flowers should be required viewing for every aspiring actor.

Bill Murray gives a tour-de-force lesson in minimalist acting as he allows his eyes, posture, and body language speak volumes about his character, while at the same time allowing enough space for the viewer to project their own theories and insecurities onto him. It’s a mesmerizing turn that grabs you from his first scene and holds you rapt until the final, haunting frames.

The story sees Murray as an aging bachelor who, upon learning that he may have fathered a son years prior, begins a cross-country journey to visit old flames who may be the mother.

The film stands as one of writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s most accessible. While it’s certainly not a “mainstream” film, and does feature an unresolved narrative, as well as a leisurely pace, the film does explore the universal themes of loneliness, aging, and how the choices we make influence our future. As Murray’s character visits his old flames he’s gifted with glimpses into how his life might have been, had he committed to one of these women, and while the journey doesn’t produce a remarkable change in him, it does produce a believable one.

Broken Flowers is a haunting film of exploration and self-discovery. The ending, while somewhat frustrating, does stay with you, as does Murray’s amazing performance, making Broken Flowers an easy film to recommend to everyone, and especially to guys, with whom it may resonate the most.