Review of Mystery Train (1989) by Edo Z — 07 Oct 2008

Three stories that are one and a mystery train blowing the whistle in the background calling at all of them. The film depicts an eerie and terminal world, but at the same time full of colour and life (and after-life!); a world improbable but possible, neither childlike nor adult, where fuzzy boundaries overlap (even with Jarmusch's previous movie, 'Down by law', where Tom Waits played the role of a fallen radio DJ; his unmistakable voice, here as a radio DJ too, links the three acts of this movie).

Nicely assembled over the blues tones of Lurie's music, yet the pace is somewhat lost towards the third act and film does not come out completely rounded.