The Limits Of Control (2009) ***1/2
The first time I watched The Limits Of Control (2009), almost six years ago, I wasn't crazy about it. On "Take 2", TLOC still sits almost near the bottom of my Jim Jarmusch film rankings, but I definitely appreciated it more and awarded it an extra half star for its rating. That seems to be a common occurrence for me with some of Jarmusch's films—I connected with both Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) (my review here) and Broken Flowers (2005) (my review here) more upon rewatches.
Frequent Jarmusch collaborator Isaach De Bankolé plays the lead, a mostly mute and nameless hitman (credited as "The Lone Man") who meets various contacts throughout the running time who give him information that leads to the next part of his mission. In a way each section, much like Jarmusch's Coffee And Cigarettes (2003), could serve as its own short film, given the somewhat non sequitur-like nature of each.
TLOC is by far Jarmusch's most deliberately slow film—I do think it's a "mood" piece (i.e. one has to be in the right mood to enjoy it). Its narrative is very simple and bare which might lead some to believe that it doesn't have much to say, but the clues given throughout the film (which I definitely picked up more this time) prove otherwise.
Both The Lone Man's first contact and Bankolé himself later on utter the phrase "reality is arbitrary", which is key to appreciating Jarmusch's whole approach to TLOC. Many other snippets of dialogue are repeated either verbatim or a close approximation by multiple characters over the course of the film. What may appear as obtuse is the director's way of treating the film as a painting. And the visuals really are spectacular, as is the musical score/soundtrack and the costumes/production design.
Recommended for fans of Point Blank (1967) (my review here), The American (2010) and Only God Forgives (2013) (my review here).
You can find my Jim Jarmusch Feature Films Ranked list here.
Frequent Jarmusch collaborator Isaach De Bankolé plays the lead, a mostly mute and nameless hitman (credited as "The Lone Man") who meets various contacts throughout the running time who give him information that leads to the next part of his mission. In a way each section, much like Jarmusch's Coffee And Cigarettes (2003), could serve as its own short film, given the somewhat non sequitur-like nature of each.
TLOC is by far Jarmusch's most deliberately slow film—I do think it's a "mood" piece (i.e. one has to be in the right mood to enjoy it). Its narrative is very simple and bare which might lead some to believe that it doesn't have much to say, but the clues given throughout the film (which I definitely picked up more this time) prove otherwise.
Both The Lone Man's first contact and Bankolé himself later on utter the phrase "reality is arbitrary", which is key to appreciating Jarmusch's whole approach to TLOC. Many other snippets of dialogue are repeated either verbatim or a close approximation by multiple characters over the course of the film. What may appear as obtuse is the director's way of treating the film as a painting. And the visuals really are spectacular, as is the musical score/soundtrack and the costumes/production design.
Recommended for fans of Point Blank (1967) (my review here), The American (2010) and Only God Forgives (2013) (my review here).
You can find my Jim Jarmusch Feature Films Ranked list here.
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