Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

I loved this movie. Okay, I loved about 75% of it. But I'm glad I saw all of it. I don't smoke, I only drink coffee when it's dressed up in a frilly disguise, and I didn't recognize everyone in the film, nor did I much care about that. I didn't recognize the writer/director's name, though I really enjoyed Night on Earth and Dead Man, and now I know his name. It was just so good to see this parade of tense interaction, waiting on or predicting what would come next. I loved how some of the moments in the first vignette were mimicked in a later one by an entirely "different" set of people.

I loved the stark interruptions of uncomfortableness, loved watching all the people pour their coffee or tea, loved the hilarious facial expressions of Molina and Coogan--it seemed to me they were portraying the two most extreme British stereotypes interacting with each other, and it was clearly fun for them.

I enjoyed the cheap, gritty sets, the introductions and goodbyes. I am not sure who the movie would best play for; as I sat and thought about who to share it with, only members of my own family came to mind. We're all a bit quirky, so the best way I can put it is that maybe if you like the "mockumentaries" of Christopher Guest, but can appreciate an even darker twist, you'll have a laugh at this.

The boring parts were the shortest, and the vignettes I liked best were so much fun it was worth the whole picture to see them.