Let's be realistic.

How sad is this?

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Jarmusch's 'Coffee and Cigarettes' features a series of vignettes that revolve around conversations between people while they have coffee and cigarettes. The film is black and white and the dialogues seem improvised but they're not nonsensical or irrelevant. There is an absurd, dry and wicked sense of humour and the performances are very natural. Many of the actors play 'themselves' but with a level of sarcasm and self (or other) mocking. Checkered design adds to the black and white contrast. While 'Coffee and Cigarettes' is primarily a conversation driven film, the quiet moments are just as great especially the reactions of the actors and the lingering tension. The versatile camera-work also deserves credit and it just proves how images can be captured effectively without the need for tricks or even movement. The sets are quite simplistic but authentic looking and lighting is superb. To say it in one word, 'Coffee and Cigarettes' is fun without tea, biscuits and sandwiches.

Not good at all, drab and boring, which life really isn't. I thought it sounded like a nice simple idea, which would probably either be warm and life affirming or darkly funny (or possibly a bit of both), and definitely topped off with a healthy sprinkling of insight. Needless to say I was a bit disappointed.Before watching this I'd always assumed it would be pretty hard to go wrong with dialogue. There are plenty of films in existence with less than great dialogue, but in the past I'd always been able to accept that it had been neglected in favour of other things, like car chases (where I guess chatting isn't really conducive anyway). Oh well, I guess writing a decent chin wag must be harder than it looks.

Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee & Cigarettes" is a black & white series of vignettes between people meeting for caffeine & nicotine. And that's exactly how the movie plays... like an afternoon spent with a friend yakking about nothing... or everything. And just like those afternoons, some segments are better than others.The shorts are a mix of styles... some are more glossy Hollywood with a scripted narrative, some feel more improvised or indie-style, and some have a distinctly New York vibe. I'm not sure the film hangs together... I'm not sure it's supposed to. Other reviewers here seem to dislike the movie for not being uniform in tone or coalescing into a grand theme or plot line. But be fair: Jarmusch never promised a wrapped package with interweaving story lines... this isn't a "Seinfeld." The joy of an anthology like this is that one chapter can be broad and comedic, and the next can go in a completely different direction. Perhaps some folks would have liked to see a cliff-hanging, on-again/off-again, will-they-or-won't-they love triangle, or maybe even a talking dog with a gangster attitude. They're in the wrong theater.This is a movie I could picture adding to my DVD collection and enjoying in a different way every time I watch it... one day I might love one segment, a year later it's my least favorite. Contemplation is not a bad thing.Neither is black & white... it helps to set the movie's tone of honesty, but unfortunately most people associate B&W with film noir- they think it means a movie is "dark." I think it just makes a movie more visceral... the tragedy is more heart-breaking, the comedy more crisp. In the oddball scene featuring Iggy Pop & Tom Waits I just enjoyed watching these two men sitting still in relative quiet in shades of black & white... it emphasizes the lines on Iggy's face from a lifetime of rock living and the furrowed brow on Tom Waits from his years of music/medicine. The slow pace also lets the actors b r e a t h e, so their dialogue is conversation, not characters spitting out exposition to set up the next plot point.My highlights:Strange To Meet You: Steven Wright's deadpan genius meets Roberto Benigni's electric comedian. One of the best in the film.Somewhere In California: Tom Waits and Iggy Pop as unlikely "chums" who fail to hit it off...Cousins: Cate Blanchett in a dual role as herself and her bitter Australian cousin. Brilliant...Cousins?: Watching the worm turn can be so satisfying...In conclusion I would not recommend this if you don't like offbeat films. But if you are feeling adventurous this is the perfect film to sample... especially on DVD. You can try a chapter, and if it doesn't engage you, CLICK- you can move directly to the next. You'll find something worth watching, at least...Now where is that damn waiter with my coffee? GRADE: B

Simply put, this is one of the most original and entertaining films I have ever seen. All actors involved in this creative project do not play characters, but actually portray themselves. For example, Bill Murray plays the role of Bill Murray, but does follow a written script. The movie consists of several unrelated skits involving various celebrities and/or personalities that should be recognized by movie watchers. The interactions and dialog between this star-studded cast is absolutely hilarious. It is a dry, clever type of humor that is nothing like typical one-liner cop-outs. Any segment that does not tickle the funny bone always ends up being very interesting and sometimes even moving. This may be the best movie you never heard of...