X
- 1989
- R
- Orion Classics
- 1 h 50 m
- 1989
- R
- Orion Classics
- 1 h 50 m
Summary Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Written By: Jim Jarmusch
- 1989
- R
- Orion Classics
- 1 h 50 m
- 1989
- R
- Orion Classics
- 1 h 50 m
Mystery Train
80
8.1
Where to Watch
Summary Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Written By: Jim Jarmusch
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
80
81% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
19% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
80
81% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
19% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
There is a deep embedding of comedy, nostalgia, shabby sadness and visual beauty.
The film is about storytelling, about how we make connections between people, places, objects and time to create meaning, and how, when these connections shift, meaning changes. Best of all are Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Cinqué Lee as argumentative hotel receptionists hooked on Tom Waits' late night radio show. They, and Jarmusch's remarkably civilised direction, hold the whole shaggy dog affair together, turning it into one of the best films of the year.
Jim Jarmusch applies his minimalist style to the margins of Memphis as seen through the experiences of three sets of foreigners. Great casting and occasional moments of grace.
Jarmusch's presence as a director is always felt, from moment to moment, in ways that are small but never random. Even establishing shots -- exteriors of buildings -- suggest his sardonic, quietly despairing vision. With Mystery Train, Jarmusch comes of age. [21 Dec 1989, p.E1]
As with Stranger Than Paradise and Down By Law, Jarmusch focuses his offbeat sensibility on urban iconoclasts, small-town oddballs, and bewildered strangers. Not surprisingly, Mystery Train will work best for those who share Jarmusch's fondness for America's pop culture junkyard; he's a true original, but Jarmusch's originality lies in a quirky viewpoint that may leave some audience members cold.
The film is beautifully shot in saturated colour by Robby Muller, the cinematographer of Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas and many other remarkable looking films, but has one of those minimalist screenplays that drives one mad since nobody says anything which makes much sense at all. Its direction seems to ask us to look past the characters for significance, while enjoying their offbeat lifestyles. [07 Dec 1989]
Visually, the film is arresting; Robby Mueller's images have a low-energy vibrancy. But Jarmusch won't come out of himself. He's got juice, but only enough for doodling. He's too hip to live.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 7 User Ratings
8.1
100% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 7 User Ratings
8.1
100% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
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