The Limits Of Control

I finally got around to watching Jim Jarmusch's 2009 film The Limits Of Control. I have to admit I was put off by the mixed reviews the film got at the time of its release, but I should have known better. I really enjoyed Only Lovers Left Alive from last year (it was one of my favorite films of the year), so this paired with the fact Chris Doyle did the cinematography and that it was praised as one of the best of 2009 by critic Andrew O'Herih (from Salon) was enough for me to give it a chance. There is very little plot in this film and it is very idiosyncratic.(Essentially we follow The Lone Man, Isaach De Bankole, as he meets with a number of contacts (Tilda Swinton, Jon Hurt, Bill Murray, Gael Garcia Bernal, Yuki Kondo, Paz de la Huerta-naked most of the time, etc.).  in Spain to complete a mysterious criminal job). I can easily see how this might be a tedious film for many film goers, but I reveled in the beautiful images with the eerie background music (provided by Japanese psychedelic band Boris) caught by cinematographer Doyle. The still above shows Sanez de Oiza's Torres Blancas in the background. It is almost like a two hour music video they way that Jarmusch and Doyle capture beautiful images set to music. Essentially an exercise in style rather than storytelling and that was quite alright by me.