Le Samouraï (1967)

If there is one film where Jarmusch got his inspiration from for his the Limits of Control it must be this classic from Jean-Pierre Melville. Alain Delon stars as Jeff Costello: the ultimate cool and loyal modern day 'samouraï' in the streets of Paris, complete the mission and don't ask any questions. Until he's been setup and there is no one to trust for him anymore.

Jeff Costello outfit is as complete as can be with his beige Burberry trenchcoat, the two-piece suit with a button-down white shirt, his light colored Fedora hat and his Baume & Mercier watch. No shortage of coats here, with all kinds of woolen and cotton overcoats. Not to mention the good taste for interiors Melville shows here.

Blood In Blood Out (1993)

"Miklo, orale, carnalito. What's up, ese?"

Damian Chapa impersonates the Miklo character in this movie, one of his first roles and since then on he would became obsessed with chicano gangster movies, both as actor and director. Too bad he's just not that good in both.. But at least he knows how to dress up properly as a chicano.

A film about three cousins growing up, one active as painter, the second as a narcotic officer and the latter as the leader of the La Onda prison gang. Director Taylor Hackford shot the film inside the San Quentin State Prison and managed to get a great deal of prisoners to act in the film. As for style concerned it's a chicano gangster walhalla; pleated (khaki) chino's, tanktops with flannel check shirts, completed with derby hats. When in prison they wear light blue shirts all with the button up top, denim jeans and jackets, navy colored beanies and all black sunglasses.

Badlands (1973)

Badlands is the first feature-film of one of my favorite directors: Terrence Malick. He wrote some scripts for features before but they were never shot the way he had in mind. With Badlands he directed his own script in a brilliantly way, the same he would do with his next three features.

The story was inspired on the Starkweather-Fugate incident in the late '50's. The 18-year old Starkweather ran away with his 14-year old girlfriend and they let a trail of murders behind. Starkweather was deeply intrigued by the 'Rebel without a Cause' image of James Dean, and wanted to look and act like him.

Certainly Malick made a good choice with Martin Sheen, who's got the James Dean look all the way. A movie for the true vintage denim fans, Martin Sheen wears his white tee with double denim: Levi's 501xx jeans and a Levi's 507xx denim jacket (which is priceless these days). Another great detail is the voice-o-graph booth, where you can record your song or text that is immediately pressed on a 7" vinyl record.

The Limits of Control (2009)

I have to apologize for the low number of stills lately, due to visits to Berlin where celebrating the new year and last week my visit to the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The five days Rotterdam where great even though the city hasn't that much to offer apart from the film festival, the world-famous Boijmans van Beuningen museum and some stores. From the movies I've seen I would strongly recommend Essential Killing, The King of Devil's Island, Black Swan and 13 Assassins. Okay back to another film by Jarmusch.

In the Limits of Control Jarmusch brings coolness to a higher level, partially due to the efforts of probably the greatest cinematographer alive right now; Christoper Doyle. His sense for composition, color, focus and depth is incredible. So combine the sense for style, items and details from Jarmusch with the superb cinematography by Doyle, there only lacks some substance in the form of very interesting dialogues about the subjectivity of art. Once again Isaach de Bankolé is present in this Jarmusch flick in the role of the secret agent. His mission is to destroy the bureaucrats that know what it takes to make art and how to explain it. He communicates with his fellow agents by codes hidden in fantastic 'Le Boxeur - Fabriqué au Cameroun' matchboxes. The Limits of Control is subjective to the bone and asks a little effort from your own imagination, as any good movie should.

A River Runs Through It (1992)

Movies that cover the places in nature where human presence is not an everyday occurrence always get a hold of my attention. Whether it's 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.. and Spring' from Korean's best Ki-duk Kim or the beautiful shots of nature Terrence Malick manages to capture in all of his oeuvre. Robert Redford chose the landscape around Missoula, Montana for a peaceful depiction of the story about two brothers sharing a passion for fly-fishing inherited from their father. I tried fishing with my brother when we were young in the urban environment we lived in and never really could understood the thrill about it. But when having these fly fishing rods and a fast-flowing river nearby I can imagine.

One of the best roles I know of from an innocent Brad Pitt presents some classic Americana outfits; out fishing with his suspenders khakis and Red Wing Irish Setters. And other old-fashioned wear from the American countryside like round collars on the flannel check shirts, an overload of hatstyles and the funnel used by the deaf to improve his hearing.