A unexpected masterpiece from jim jarumsch Loved everything about it

A good number of rotten tomatoes for this one but it's so bad it's redeemable and watchable for a second time. The cost of making this film must have been rock bottom. At the end I wish this depressing soap opera continued following the lives of these depressing individuals and their bleak existence. I can see the classic cult appeal to this sad excuse for a motion picture. But I liked it.No sex and almost no bad language. A glimpse into a life of poverty and boredom. A week long trip seeking adventure in dreary Cleveland and traveling to a cheap motel in Florida. I got a good laugh when cousin Eva showed the two dead beats the view of Lake Erie.Suicide Alert - If you're depressed this movie could push you over the edge. :)

This is my favorite Jim Jarmusch movie by far. The acting of John Lurie (Willie), Eszter Balint (Eva) and Richard Edson (Eddie) are extremely believable, to the extent that looks almost documentary, and is easy for the viewer to get familiarize with them.The relationships between the characters are quite realistic, with an extra surreal touch, due to their opposite personalities: Willie and Eddie don't agree about decision making. On the other hand, find it hard to show their feelings about Eva. This fact leads funny and bizarre situations. Despite the "tough guy" look of Willie, he is quite insecure. He even resigns of his own nationality: Hungarian.Some reviewers points that Eszter Balint performance is quite discreet. I disagree. She acts very naturally, with the feeling of a teenager who came alone for the first time from Hungary to New York Jungle.9/10

Jim Jarmusch is one of those filmmakers whose films never make the big bucks at the box office, neither does he or his actors win big awards at big ceremonies, nor is he very well known among the masses. But there is a big section of cinema lovers who admire films that are different and distinct from the usual mainstream products that you get at the theaters, and they absolutely love his films, idolise him and get inspired by his work. I belong to the latter category. 'Down By Law' is one of my favourite films of all time. Stranger than Paradise was the first film that made Jarmusch popular in the critics' circles and the film festivals. This film like his others has his distinct style all over it and is a joy to watch.Jarmusch is one of the masters of deadpan comedies. In a very characteristic way, Stranger Than Paradise is a quiet, brooding film where nothing big of mind-blowing magnitude happens. Characters are all very down to earth, casual individuals who get on with their lives without making a big fuss. The flat storyline involves Eva, a Hungarian girl who comes to America and would have stayed with her Aunt Lotte, but due to her illness is forced to stay with her cousin Willie in his apartment in New York. Willie is an archetypal hipster. He has made a conscious effort to relinquish his Hungarian background and identity and accepted the American way of life because he thinks that's cool, he is not social, he spends all of his time in his small, cosy apartment, he eats junk food, plays cards and has no desire to explore the world. When Eva arrives, we can clearly see a wall between the two characters due to their contrasting views of the world, culture and even just plain routines and habits. Although they both find it difficult to adjust to each others' ways, Willie gradually becomes fond of Eva and starts to accept her, while Eva who initially wanted to be friendly with Willie gradually drifts apart due to his demeanour. When Eva leaves to stay with her Aunt, Willie genuinely ends up feeling lonely and becomes quite sceptical about the prospect of having to go back to his lonely life. Eddie is a friend of Willie who acts as a form of a bridge between Willie and Eva. He actually got on with Eva better than Willie. 1 year after Eva's departure, both Willie and Eddie completely fed up and bored with their uneventful lives decide to head to Cleveland where Eva was staying with her aunt. Now a standard film would have shown how Eva makes Willie have a different outlook on the world and change his attitude towards his own life and it would have become a very predictable Hollywood coming of age comedy film. But Jarmusch is anything but standard and predictable. What follows after that is utterly profound and enlightening, but even then it never loses its casual, deadpan style.The central theme of the film I think is the achievement of happiness or fulfillment. People tend to imagine this ideal state that they want to be in and this ideal, heavenly life in paradise that they want to live which leaves them with feelings of dissatisfaction and depression. They tend to chase this life and this dream which they chase throughout their lives, but even when they achieve it, it turns out to be not much different to the lives that they were already leading, just shinier with more material belongings and so there is really no point in chasing anything and genuine fulfillment can't be found. So the film in a way delves a bit in elements of Nihilism. Jarmusch like many other filmmaking auteurs manages to find some optimism in the midst of this pessimism and ends on an optimistic note rather than fashioning and artificially manufacturing a happy ending out of nowhere just for the sake of it.The cinematography of this film reminded me so heavily of French New Wave films of the 1950s and 1960s, specially Godard's 'Masculin Féminin'. There is very little editing. Jarmusch uses these long shots and allows the camera to stay still and focus on the characters. It is extremely understated and the whole film depends and revolves around the mood that Jarmusch creates. This film can be aptly described as a moody, hypnotic comedy. Very little happens on screen, but everything gets revealed through little glances that the actors use and soft, short lines spoken by characters and the visuals. The acting by the three major actors namely John Lurie, Eszter Balint and Richard Edson (who reminded me of Robert de Niro as Johnny Boy in 'Mean Streets') is understated, nuanced, but very effective for a film of this style. Stranger Than Paradise is certainly not a film for everyone. People who expect fast paced films where a lot of things happen will feel infinitely disappointed with this. But I love directors who make no compromise with their films and stay true to their art and style. Stranger Than Paradise is a deep and meaningful film that demands patience and attention from the viewers. It had a huge impact on the American Independent Film scene and for this it deserves even more praise, specially considering that it got released at a time during which Americans could see nothing other than Star Wars, Indiana Jones and other big budget studio bonanzas. It gave promise and hope to budding filmmakers in America that they could also make films of a different variety and not give in to the pressures of the studios and the Box Office.