The Limits of Control is the newest film from Jim Jarmusch, the man who gave us Dead Man, Down By Law, and Coffee & Cigarettes just to name a few. It’s a “spy thriller” body with appendages for every other genre of film. There’s comedy, drama, love, and even the slightest touch of gangster genre. Tilda Swinton, Gael Garcia Bernal, John Hurt, and Bill Murray all make cameos. The Limits of Control is however Jarmusch’s least accessible to those looking for a casual film or even a “thinker” as I like to call them. This film is for the art aficionado. The color palette is magnificent and the cinematography is distilled of much movement but leaves a pictoral burn in the left hemisphere of your brain. If Limits had lacked this aspect, I probably wouldn’t have made it through it in its entirety. I don’t mean to say the story is bad by any means, but it “just plainly don’t make no sense”. Maybe if I revisited the film two or three times I might begin to understand the plot.

The Limits of Control is a movie where none of the characters have any names. Instead we relate their faces to the objects they carry (musical instruments, diamonds, and even knowledge). At the end of the film, I really had no clue what to say. At some moments throughout the film I felt Jarmusch was either just using Limits as a nod to cinema or a self-reflective look at his own film. The characters speak vaguely and tend to drone on about the irrelevant. Though the plot seems to go nowhere, the visual and audible aspects of the film should keep those interested in art and cinematography interested. His shots are all very painterly, so much that a couple scenes had me second-guessing if we are looking at a portrait or the “real deal”. The music is well selected as well. Jarmusch has an ear for what works and what doesn’t. Much of it fits the pace of the film. He blends both droning reverb-ed guitars and vocals with psychedelic rock jams (his soundtrack for Limits does not include Tom Waits). The music seems to help aid in the dreamlike qualities of the film.

Limits is artsy. It’s extremely slow in terms of action or plot but if you are interested in picture then there’s something here for you. If you watch Limits, don’t think too hard, it’ll probably just confuse you more. Instead, enjoy it for its imagery. The closest other Jarmusch picture to Limits would be Coffee and Cigarettes, with lots of cameos and coffee table conversations about nothing. While not satisfied nor disappointed, I would rate Limits 3 ½ stars out of 5. - [DVD]

Crime/Drama/Thriller

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 11/17/09

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