Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

A series of vignettes that all have coffee and cigarettes in common.

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writer:

Jim Jarmusch

Stars:

Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni

2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roberto Benigni	...	Roberto (segment "Strange to Meet You")
Steven Wright	...	Steven (segment "Strange to Meet You")
Joie Lee	...	Good Twin (segment "Twins")
Cinqué Lee	...	Evil Twin / Kitchen Guy (segment "Twins / Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil")
Steve Buscemi	...	Danny (segment "Twins")
Iggy Pop	...	Iggy (segment "Somewhere in California")
Tom Waits	...	Tom (segment "Somewhere in California")
Joseph Rigano	...	Joe (segment "Those Things'll Kill Ya") (as Joe Rigano)
Vinny Vella	...	Vinny (segment "Those Things'll Kill Ya")
Vinny Vella Jr.	...	Vinny Jr. (segment "Those Things'll Kill Ya")
Renee French	...	Renée (segment "Renée") (as Renée French)
E.J. Rodriguez	...	Waiter (segment "Renée")
Alex Descas	...	Alex (segment "No Problem")
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Isaach (segment "No Problem")
Cate Blanchett	...	Cate / Shelly (segment "Cousins")

Storyline

Eleven separate vignettes are presented. In each, celebrities, playing semi-fictionalized versions of themselves (with the exception of the characters of various wait staff, and one actor playing a lookalike cousin of herself), meet in a food service establishment with coffee/tea and cigarettes involved. Beyond the topic of discussion that brought them together, they often talk directly about coffee and cigarettes, more often that coffee and cigarettes, and by association caffeine and nicotine, are not healthy, especially if they are the only things constituting lunch. Other recurring themes include the Lee family, cousinhood, celebrity worship, the connection between the medical and musical careers, and Nikola Tesla's belief that the Earth is a conductor of acoustic resonance. In all cases, the coming together for coffee/tea and smokes acts as a bridge to overcome disagreements, and/or makes uncomfortable situations less uncomfortable.

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Plot Keywords:

vignette | musician | cigarette smoking | cult director | anthology | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA Japan Italy

Language:

English French

Release Date:

11 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Café e Cigarros

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

€72,167 (Italy), 14 March 2004, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$99,162, 16 May 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,971,135, 18 July 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Asmik Ace Entertainment,BIM Distribuzione,Smokescreen Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was made over a 17-year period. The Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright segment was filmed in 1986. The Tom Waits and Iggy Pop segment was shot in 1995.

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Goofs

Jack White plugs in his Tesla coil in order to show it to Meg White, but never unplugs it before pulling it away in his wagon.

Jack never plugs anything in. The cord he has in his hand is connected from the the coil to the on/off switch. Furthermore, Tesla employed the Tesla coil in his efforts to achieve wireless power transmission, and as Jack built his coil based on Tesla's original designs, he would not require the use of outside electrical current.

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Quotes

Alfred: He's a very committed environmentalist.
Steve: Spike Jonze is a tree hugger? Jesus, I never would've had him down as that.
Alfred: Well... I think he prefers the term "leaf people."

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Crazy Credits

Tesla Coil Wrangler ... Peter Kunz

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Connections

References Ghostbusters (1984)

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Soundtracks

Enna Bella
Written by Eric "Monty" Morris, Coxsone Dodd
Performed by Eric "Monty" Morris
Jamrec Music/Happy Valley Music, Ltd. (BMI)
Courtesy of Jamaica Recording and Publishing Studio, Ltd.

User Reviews

jarmusch not trying=still better than most

my impression of the film is that jarmusch wasn't really trying very hard. perhaps i'll be proven wrong and this film will one day be shown to have an understated genius about it, but i doubt it. the film is merely a collection of shorts that jarmusch has been putting together since 1986. the first one was the first one shot and the later ones seem to be filmed more recently (judging by the age of bill murray, and inclusion of alfred molina or meg/jack white, for example), but i can't verify that it was presented in the chronological filming order. at any rate, the film revolves around various people discussing various things over coffee (or tea) and cigarettes. more than anything the film made me want to go to a diner and have a coffee with some apple pie a la mode. unlike 'stranger than paradise' or 'down by law' this film had very little lasting effect on me. i had fun while i was watching it - jarmusch always has a quiet humor to his films, producing more chuckles than outright laughs - but it didn't leave me thinking like some of his others have. i like the molina/coogan and rza/gza/murray shorts the most. i don't mean to give the impression that the film is bad or that i don't like jarmusch because both are incorrect, it's just that jarmusch has done better and the film was mostly good fluff. B-.