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.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Jim Jarmusch is one of these contemporary directors that know how to portray coolness in a very sophisticated way. Like Wes Anderson, but in a significant different design, although their mixing of the serious and comic genres with a high sense of dry humor are very similar.

I already featured some samurai in the traditional fashion. But with Ghost Dog Jarmusch choose to portray a samurai in the present, utterly well played by Forest Withaker. A quiet figure, very decent and dedicated, plus he's got some fantastic items and uses of things. A secret compartment in his wooden floor with a secretly situated key, the self-made boombox out of wood and car hi-fi, his communicating by carrier pigeon and the glossy dark-blue suit. Lots of shoe styles are found either, from the all red Nike Low Air Force Ones as the Reebok Pumps to classic American footwear like L.L. Beans (not featured) and the Red Wings worn by Isaach de Bankolé. Not unexpectedly, because of his love for ancient Asian practices, the RZA made the soundtrack for the movie.