Sunday, May 10, 2009

Permanent Vacation (1980)--1/5

"Permanent Vacation" is not quite awful, but still not worth seeing. With shots as long as those in "Stranger Than Paradise" and existential musings more scattered than those in "Ghost Dog," it's for Jarmusch completists only. It follows the aimless Allie Parker through a sometimes-Lynchian, gamelan-scored NYC. Many of the people he encounters can't even be bothered to hold a conversation; instead they writhe on the ground or stare blankly. Jim Jarmusch's concepts can--and generally do--support a watchable film. "Permanent Vacation" is an immature art student's bid at profundity.


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