Murray Miscast in "Broken Flowers"

It pains me to write this: Bill Murray weakens a potentially good "Broken Flowers," directed by Jim Jarmusch. If you can make this leap--Bill Murray is a casanova who's broken the hearts of gorgeous women over the past 20+ years--then you will probably enjoy this flick. I simply could not make that leap. In addition, his "deadpan"--emphasis on the first syllable--almost brings the film to a halt a few times. If you thought Bill was lowkey in The Life Aquatic, watch out. This is no Michelangelo Antonioni-Samuel Becket-style performance; this is simply just bloody boring acting.

Here's my selection of actors whom I think would've been better than Bill Murray, based on their screen personas and acting abilities:



(Clockwise, starting from upper left: Warren Beatty, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Jim Jarmusch (even the director would've been better), Beat Takeshi, Morgan Freeman.)

And just so Bill Murray doesn't feel too badly, here's my list of actors who would've been WORSE than B.M.


(Clockwise, starting from upper left: Garry Shandling, James Gandolfini, Al Pacino, Alan Alda.)

My advice: see this film if your Ambien supply is running low.