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Cigarettes & Coffee (1993)
Explores the power of simple rituals
The movie is raw. The actors aren't caked with makeup, nor is the cinematography something to behold. However the script and nuanced direction is all a movie ever needed for it to have power and meaning. The acting is sufficient as well, with extra credit to Philip Baker Hall for his participation.
This short films is set at a diner where five people come to for coffee and cigarettes. A man and his elder friend arrive to gather their thoughts. As what Las Vegas is notorious for, the man acted impulsive and hired a hit-man for his wife and friend who he suspected were having an affair. Torn by what he had been through and what he had done, he arranged a meeting with his trusted friend for guidance. His friend is calm, aware and understanding. He also stays true to his ritual of having a coffee and lighting his cigarette to then talk, as he says "you light the bonfire first to then tell the stories". A couple has come to the diner after blowing nearing all their money on gambling. And the final character is bill the man's hired hit-man.
The film teaches us, if anything, to savour the moment. Enjoy the little pleasures in life, like a warm brew of coffee or a smooth cigarette, they don't last but I think we are inclined to remember that nothing lasts to an extent. In turbulent times of deception and guilty pleasures people should step back and recollect their thoughts. And what better catalyst for reflection and contemplation than a cozy diner, a nice light and a creamy brew. The film shows similarities to the pious exercise of prayer and meditation. It displays evidence that even in the hedonistic city of Las Vegas it is still possible to find asylum. The film encourages all of us to think of what is taken for granted, ie what is counted on. And to see life as it is, not of what it appears to be in the heat of the moment.