by Gabriella Apicella

When I’m told how to watch a film, I tend to think that the movie in question is probably best avoided.  Certainly if you scout around, you will see that Jim Jarmusch’s latest movie, “The Limits of Control” has somewhat divided the critique-ing elite.  However, if you are the kind of viewer who can patiently watch a film without needing to know who everyone is, what their motivations are, and what exactly is going on, this movie is well worth a view.

Jarmusch has talked in the past of his admiration of Michelangelo Antonioni, and certainly the artistic master’s elegant eye is evoked throughout this film.  Christopher Doyle’s cinematography is simply perfect in every scene, which will hardly come as a surprise to anyone who has seen his previous work in films such as “Rabbit Proof Fence”, “Hero” and “In the Mood for Love”.  There is a tangibility to the film that validates why filmmakers get so excited about 35mm celluloid and are perfectly within their rights to sigh and grumble about the limits of digital film.  It looks absolutely gorgeous, and yet this is not limited to superficial beauty, as the colour palette changes during the course of the film, mirroring the moods and shifts in tone throughout.

The cameo appearances from Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Gael Garcia Bernal and Bill Murray, among other lesser known but gifted actors are exquisite, and any intimation of pretence during their occasionally baffling dialogue is so clearly acknowledged that all is needed is to sit back and soak in the talent.

Indeed the whole movie is concerned with perceptions, and the interpretations of ideas and creativity, so Jarmusch’s knowing handling of moments that could undermine this poem to manipulation, are delicately balanced.

In terms of the story, and what the film is actually about, I’m loathe to reveal too much beyond what you will read anywhere else: it follows a hit-man on a job to assassinate somebody.  The film may well test your patience if you’re an irritable or impatient movie-watcher, as I can often be, but when things do all begin to come together, it is delicious to experience.  I must admit to feeling rather foolish for shifting in my seat awaiting a traditional narrative from such an intelligent director, who has proved again that he has no need of conventional methods of storytelling.

Apart from anything else, to limit the meaning of this film to simply my clumsy recounting of incidents that occur within it would be completely inadequate.  It is a multi-layered piece that is likely to elicit responses that have little to do with the incidents themselves. As with Antonioni’s classic “L’Avventura”, what the film is about cannot be explained by describing the actions in the scenes alone.

For the majority of the screening I felt baffled, frustrated and at times irritated as a character that refuses to interact with his surroundings or anyone within them led me through a series of scenes whose relevance I was unable to understand.  However, at the film’s end, I felt a rush of elation as the intelligently executed resolution made sense of all that had gone before more eloquently than I had bargained for.  For a film about perception and interpretation, this film requires that you do not rush to analyse.  Take your time, be patient, and wallow in this subtle film.

To watch the trailer for this film, click here.