The Limits of Control (2009)

It's nice to see a movie like this in German, since there's not much talking and the dialogue that is there is not usually important for the plot (what little plot there is, I mean). So hurray for being able to see and understand an indie movie in small-town Germany. Jim Jarmusch's latest work, The Limits of Control, focuses solely on a Lone Man (Isaach De Bankolé) as he makes his way through various regions of Spain on a secret mission. He has been hired by some sort of gangster/criminal-type, presumably to assassinate an unidentified figure. He moves through different towns, meeting different operatives who feed him coded slips of paper in match boxes.

These brief meetings usually involve a silent Lone Man listening to the operative indulge their enlightened interests, with Violin (Luis Tosar) explaining the importance of music, Blonde (Tilda Swinton) recalling her favorite movie scene, Guitar (John Hurt) explaining his love of art, et cetera. There's also the audacious spy Nude (Paz de la Huerta) who haunts his bedroom for several nights, declining to kill him just as he declines sleeping with her. Many of these characters relate to specific works of art he visits in a large museum in Madrid (sorry I'm not sure which one- the Reina Sofia?). He makes it from the city to a secluded, desert-like area housing a heavily-guarded compound. His unknown target sits inside.

Like most Jarmusch films, The Limits of Control is incredibly, painstakingly sparse. But it still manages to be very interesting and beautiful, taking full advantage of the gorgeous Spanish landscapes. Rich colors and carefully-placed shots abound to create a visually intriguing piece of cinema. It's hushed and mysterious, but not without meaning. Each conversation seems to hold some kind of key, but the door is never quite opened. Several phrases and actions are repeated throughout, hinting at a kind of universal significance, perhaps suggesting the importance of everyday experiences.

The cast is great- with Gael Garcia Bernal and Bill Murray popping up along with the people mentioned above. Really this is completely Isaach De Bankolé's film, though. He has very few lines, but manages to portray his character with such stoicism and mystery, mostly through his incredible presence and wonderfully interesting face. (I was even moved to do a quick sketch of him last night... possibly it will be a painting later). I could see the character becoming boring or pointless in the hands of a different actor, but in this case I was compelled by De Bankolé and took him completely seriously, even in those adorable shiny, color-coordinated suits.

I completely understand that this is an art-for-art's-sake kind of movie and nothing really happens in it and everything is super ambiguous and it's definitely not the kind of film most people might enjoy. Taking all that into account, I still really liked it, probably because I'm such a sucker for visual artistry. It's the kind of film I'm really glad I got to see (especially on a big screen), but probably won't need to see again. Well, I guess it'd be nice to hear everyone's real voices, instead of hearing everyone dubbed in German with pseudo-Spanish accents or speaking Spanish with German accents.

4/5