STRANGER THAN PARADISE

STRANGER THAN PARADISE by Jim Jarmusch

This is a film whose simplicity and whimsicality make me happy every minute that I'm watching it.

"Stranger than Paradise" is a great reminder that if a film has people you like, enough interesting locations shot from interesting angles, a progression of events that makes sense to you, and human interactions that are generally positive, it can work. It doesn't have to have an elaborate plot or script.

This is the kind of movie that makes one want to make movies. Eva visits her cousin in NYC, from Hungary, for the first time. The larger throughline of events is simply that the two become friends after initial conflict of a subtle sort.

Eva's cousin and his friend follow her to Cleveland after she leaves his apartment in NYC. She's happy to see them, and they end up taking her to Florida for a vacation. That's it. What makes the simplicity even more enjoyable is that it's flawed simplicity. Jarmusch tries to create a little conflict toward the end when Eva and her cousin take the two beds in the hotel, forcing the friend to take the cot. Yet throughout that 'conflict' and a few more that ensue, it doesn't feel like the actors want to be even that mean towards each other. Which adds to the whimsy.

PS One of the best moments is when they discover that Eva is working at a hot dog stand when they get to Cleveland.

PPS The film reminds: if a film is directed elegantly, one can get away with a lot. Its simple but strong visual language can easily be admired above great dialogue.