THE DEAD DON'T DIE

Bill Murray     Adam Driver     Steve Buscemi     Danny Glover     Selena Gomez

Rosie Perez     Iggy Pop     Chloe Sevigny     Tilda Swinton     Tom Waits     Carol Kane

     Normally, I love Jim Jarmusch films (Only Lovers Left Alive, Paterson, Coffee and Cigarettes, e.g.), but although The Dead Don’t Die starts out rather interesting—primarily because of the characters introduced and the wry humor—but when the zombies arrive…and stay on and on…the script becomes repetitive and surprisingly boring, even though the low-key humor is still sprinkled liberally throughout.

     The most entertaining part of the movie is the group of small-town Centerville characters that include Chief of Police Robertson (Murray), his deputy Ronnie Peterson (Driver), hermit Bob (Waits), farmer Miller (Buscemi), and hardware store owner Hank (Glover); but the standout is Zelda Winston (Swinton), the Samurai sword wielding funeral director of the Ever After Funeral Home and computer expert.  

     All is quiet and the usual peaceful in Centerville until strange things start happening.  It stays light more than usual, electronics don’t work like they’re supposed to, the same song keeps playing on the radio…and then zombies start appearing and proliferating, doing their thing. 

     It seems to be a well-known fact of zombie lore that to rid yourself of a zombie, you must “kill the head.”  Zelda has nothing to fear when she goes outside because of her unfailing aim. Ronnie is the only other one to have had some training in the past, but he can also wield a sword effectively. Robertson is good at blasting heads with a shotgun.  So how will it all turn out when zombies—even those recently departed—start appearing everywhere?  To quote Ronnie, “This is all gonna end badly”, but is he right?  Will everything turn out OK?  With some prompting, Robertson reassures dispatcher Mindy Morrison (Sevigny) of just that.

     Writer/director Jarmusch’s intention may be to highlight the narrator, who happens to be the hermit Bob.  From his comments on what he observes through his binoculars, we get the impression that Bob is fully informed about what is going on in the world—including in nature—and comes to certain conclusions.  He makes pronouncements from time to time that could be seen as a commentary about contemporary society, with its penchant for material acquisitions at the expense of environmental and humane values.  

     Which prompts us to ask,  “Are we the people the zombies of today who have the potential to kill off whole species—including our own—because of misplaced desires?  If so, does Jarmusch mean that “the head” must be dealt with for us to save ourselves?

     This is a film that doesn’t seem to amount to much on the surface, but thoughtful reflection may turn up seeds of wisdom.

Not your usual zombie move, but one that provides food for thought.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

PATERSON

Adam Driver     Golshifteh Farahani     Barry Shabaca Henley     William Jackson Harper     Chasten Harmon

          Paterson the movie is Jim Jarmusch’s homage to the 20^th Century American poet William Carlos Williams, who wrote a five-volume poem entitled “Paterson.”  Although the poet was born in and lived in Rutherford, NJ, his poem and the film are both set in Paterson, NJ.  To continue the theme, the film’s main character is named Paterson, a young bus driver who writes poems in his spare time.  Williams favored poetry in the “documentary” style that reflects the resemblance between the mind of man and the city [Beach, Christopher (2003). The Cambridge introduction to twentieth-century American poetry (1st publ. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge UP. pp. 109–16. ISBN 9780521891493], which draws on everyday events in the lives of common people.  In his screenplay, Jarmush has Paterson writing and reciting poems reflective of Williams’ poetic style, which is, for example, making the subject of a poem a box of matches, with its significance in the couple’s home.

        Adam Driver captures the Paterson persona in its gentleness, selflessness, and willingness to please, along with a commitment to routine in daily life and a serious sense of responsibility.  He dismisses his worth—even after a demonstration of heroism—and shows no sign of hostility or resentment.  In pleasing contrast, Adam is married to blithe, winsome Laura (Farahani), who is wildly creative in her passion for black and white circles and stripes (appearing on clothes, curtains, napkins, cups, and even iced muffins); she is hilarious and lovingly sweet at the same time.  How refreshing to see a couple in the movies so compatible and free of conflict.  They both delight in indulging one another.  The two actors fit hand-in-glove in their roles.

          Paterson is an amiable film whose spice comes from the poetry, from the quirkiness of its characters, and from the little Jarmusch jokes sprinkled generously throughout.  For some reason, he makes seeing Paterson’s routine of waking up at the same time every day, eating his Cheerios, driving his bus, taking the dog Marvin on a walk, and stopping at a bar interesting.  That’s because along the way, we see all the figures he encounters with their daily life dramas that make us chuckle but also make us care about them. This is humanity at its most genuine and sympathetic.

          Somewhat puzzling is the motif of twins in the film; we see six different sets of twins, and Laura tells Paterson about her dream in which she was pregnant with twins.  “One for each of us”, replies Paterson.  Hence, I assume the motif has something to do with balance, and considering the contrasting personalities of the couple, perhaps it suggests the achievement of harmony in their relationship—that differences do not necessarily have to be in conflict.

        Toward the end of the film, Paterson encounters a Japanese gentleman in the Paterson Falls park.  A number of coincidental exchanges occur, at the end of which, the gentleman parts with the expression, “Aha!”  I hope all viewers have this same thought after viewing this film.

 A gentle, poetic, and warmly humorous look at a slice of humanity.

Grade:  A                                                 By Donna R. Copeland