grabbed my only single gf gem and went to check out "broken flowers" tonight. wonderfully subtle film with quiet and unexpected humour. for those that do not need a 'proper' hollywood ending i would highly recommend this one. from the director of 'coffee and cigarettes' (i personally didn't much care for this film - stopped watching after 30mins) comes the story of a ageing don juan who receives a pink letter from an old flame telling him he has a son. the unsigned letter prompts a cross-country trip to visit ex-lovers who may be the author of the note.
it has been criticised by some people for being too subtle, too quiet and perhaps an example of lazy writing/directing. it is true that perhaps several of the extended driving or map sequences could or should have been edited. however, people who have made these comments seem to miss the point that the director is putting across - it is not about the destination, but the journey. the character of don never finds the answer he is searching for. while the sudden ending is momentarily disapointing and unfulfilling, one realises that he don found what he was searching for it would have been a completly differnt film. this is a movie about life, not about finding a long lost son.
broken flowers celebrates the excentricities (i know i can't spell - suggestion to blog.co.uk - spellchecker!!) of everyday middle-america - the animal communicator, the popsical-eating teen lolita and the village of idential model homes. it also points out that people must stop living in the past. the many driving scences which have come under attack for their unecessary length illustrate this point with shots of the side car mirror showing a view of the road already travelled.
"...the past is gone, I know that. The future isn't here yet, whatever it's going to be. So, all there is, is this. The present."
if you loved lost in translation then you will love this one. also keep an eye out of "thumbsucker" and "heights" which both look like they will be worth a watch 