Review of Night on Earth (1991) by Bingham B — 02 Feb 2008
Jim Jarmusch's "Night on Earth" is like a long and unpleasant taxi ride taxi ride, in that the closer it gets to the end, the more you are able to enjoy it. A series of vignettes centering on cab drivers and their captive audiences, "Night on Earth" starts on a notable low note, with Gena Rowlands and Winona Ryder's sequence, terribly acted and painfully written.
Things soon get better however, and the final two chapters, set in Rome and Helsinki, are wonderful little tragicomedies. As always Jarmusch is a wiz with music, and Begnini and the direction has a dreamlike, languid tone which perfectly fits the films timeframe.
However inconsistency and Jarmusch's constant, trite moralizing ultimately undermines what could have been an incredible and poignant ensemble film.
This review of Night on Earth (1991) was written by Bingham B on 02 Feb 2008.
Night on Earth has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
