Director Jim Jarmusch made a name for himself by directing cool, relaxed films; and it has to be said that he's done it rather well on a few occasions. Down By Law was probably his first big success, but Stranger Than Paradise was his first feature film. The film features the relaxed atmosphere that Jarmusch is famous for creating, and it also looks the part with its silky black and white picture...but as a film, it's not all that good. The relaxed plot is far too relaxed to the point of boredom, and none of the three central performers manage to lift the film above the norm. Much of the film simply sees the characters sitting around talking, and their conversations aren't exactly fascinating. There is a sense of irony, especially regarding the ending; but other than that, the film doesn't show a lot of intelligence either. This film apparently started out as a thirty minute short; and that sounds about right, as it all feels very stretched and that's unfortunate, as it would have made a fairly decent short film. The plot simply follows a Hungarian man in New York who receives an unwelcome visit from his cousin. Jarmusch doesn't do a very good job of portraying his characters, and we don't get to learn much about them from their conversations. The only real positive element of this film as far as I can see is the cinematography, which really does look good. Overall, this is a rather dull and pretentious film that looks good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Night on Earth, Dead Man and Down By Law before this.
Review of Stranger Than Paradise
