Coffee and Cigarettes

If you’re looking for “indie cred”—and we know you are—sidle up to the nearest coffee shop and get yourself five to six cups of coffee and three to four packs of cigarettes. Once you’ve stocked up, gather groups of mismatched hipster star power and proceed with more awkward conversations than a 9/11 Commission hearing. If you don’t feel cooler, at least you’ll know how we felt during Coffee and Cigarettes, director Jim Jarmusch’s series of unrelated vignettes featuring actors and musicians discussing everything from herbal remedies to the Tesla Coil. As with most alcohol-free functions, C and C is only entertaining when the right people show up. Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan, and the RZA and GZA paired with Bill Murray make for entertaining sipping sessions. But when the unknowns, washed-ups, and White Stripes arrive, conversation stalls and it’s time for a coffee break.