Hypnotic black and white comedy drama directed by Jim Jarmusch. Three men – Jack, Zach and Bob – find themselves unjustly held in a New Orleans jail and make their escape. It’s not really about “what happens”. Indeed, the escape takes seconds and isn’t detailed at all. It’s about their characters and the way their personalities interact.
The three stars, Tom Waits, John Lurie and Roberto Benigni, are all highly watchable and charismatic. Waits, in particular, has a twitchy, edgy magnetism.
When the film takes an unexpectedly romantic turn, it becomes something that lifts your spirits as well as makes you laugh. Nicoletta Braschi has been Benigni’s real-world wife since 1991 (they also starred together in Life Is Beautiful) and the scenes with them together are a joy.
It’s shot beautifully, too. You can freeze the DVD at any point and it looks like a striking photograph.
One of my favourite films.
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