Synopsis: “Funny, Tender and Generous.” — A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) stars in the comedic story of an aging Don Juan who hits the road on a revealing and humorous cross-country journey. When a mysterious pink letter informs Don Johnston (Murray) that he may have a 19-year-old son, he visits four former lovers, where he comes face to face with the errors of his past and the possibilities of the future. From acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch and co-starring Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton, and Jeffrey Wright, Broken Flowers is the highly original comedy that Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says is “filled with wonderful mischief” and “brings out the best in Bill Murray.”

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Broken Flowers 7.0

‘Broken Flowers’ has a very funny concept: an aging womanizer receives an anonymous letter telling him that he’s got a 19-year old son who’s on his way to find the father he’s never known. Unsure what to do about it, and without any clues, he gets coaxed by his best friend to hit the road and visit the women who were in his life approximately 20 years ago.

It’s a funny idea, sure, because so much can happen on such a journey. But I had problems with the concept from the start: who would bother to warn him but not sign the letter or leave a return address? Why wouldn’t he just wait for the son to show up and go from there? And, further to this, why doesn’t he just call each woman and ask them flat out if they know anything about this instead of traveling across the country to see them (only to pick up clues during his visits)?

It just seems a bit convoluted to me; there are much easier, more reasonable ways to go about resolving this. And, as a businessman who made his fortune in computers, you’d think he’d be more rational than this.

It all left me rather incredulous…

But then there is Murray himself. Already, he doesn’t embody the aging Lothario type. Problem is, he didn’t express it either. Instead, he looked like a depressed loner (if not a total loser!), who couldn’t possibly get a girlfriend except out of sheer luck – let alone be a virtual Don Juan (as he’s teased about being, time and again). There’s just no charisma or congeniality coming from Murray’s interpretation of the character.

I could imagine even someone like Richard Gere (whose acting cred is still unconfirmed with me) because at least he would have looked the part. I can also imagine some chemistry between his character and the women he encounters anew (or everyone else, for that matter!). With Murray, there was absolutely no sign of anything going on between Don and his former paramours. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

And yet, many of the women are clearly, for reasons unknown, under his spell (even Lola, the daughter of his first paramour, who’s never met him before, is attracted to him). Now, I could understand it if the attraction were just due to some sort of leftover feeling, out of nostalgia, out of wanting to revisit former passions – but this unwarranted fascination just didn’t hold true to me. There is simply nothing remotely inviting about this man.

I totally get that he seems bored, if not depressed with, his life and that this may explain his vibe. But that spark, that twinkle in his eye, would not leave him so completely; it would have (re)surfaced in a few moments. Personally, I would have preferred to see him brighten up (if only a little bit) when he revisited his past loves, to see some sign of life in his eyes – only for the light to dim in his eyes again between visits. But there was nothing there; Murray played him emotionally catatonic. Yeah… I can see the appeal.

‘Broken Flowers’ had its moments, though.

The first part between Don and his buddy Winston is delicious. Their banter is amusing and he actually has a few nice moments with Winston’s family – which are mostly due to them, not him, mind you. The problem is when he hits the road; it seems to me that it doesn’t truly fulfill its potential. The women he meets all have their quirks and each encounter has its awkward, but slightly amusing quality, but it never translates into real delight.

-Julie Delpy’s short on-screen stint is funereal, in that it’s the death of their relationship. Good times.

-Sharon Stone’s character is a bit on the free-spirited side of things, and she has a glow about her that is appealing (if, seemingly, a bit glazed). Her daughter certainly adds bounce to the proceedings.

-Frances Conroy has the least fun of the bunch, looking nervous and on the verge of tears most of the time. Her domineering husband puts an uncomfortable, acerbic, edge to that encounter.

-Jessica Lange plays the most eccentric of the bunch, what some would call “a real fruitcake”. Personally, I think she’s not quite in the deep end of new age, but she’s out there. But, boy, that woman is sexy – even at 56!

-Tilda Swinton has a brief, but memorable, turn as what one might call “trailer trash” or a “biker chick”. There’s a punch here, but not enough of one to matter.

A lot of moments were vignettes that faded into one another without any real intention; it felt as though they had tons of footage and didn’t know what to do with it. So the journey felt a bit improvised, despite the fact that the character has everything mapped out in detail before even getting started. I think the film lacked focus in that respect.

In the end, I love the concept behind ‘Broken Flowers’. I also like the characters. Unfortunately, I don’t like the end result as much as I should. In my opinion, it’s partly a casting issue. But it’s also a minor script and direction one too.

This was my second go at ‘Broken Flowers’, and my impression remains the same as it was then: it’s a good, if flawed, film. And it could have been so much more.