Night on Earth (1991)

(On Cable TV, August 2020) I can’t say that I’ve been able to make myself like Jim Jarmusch’s work, but at least I’ve warmed up enough to not dread his name every time he ends up on my must-see lists. Night on Earth is, as usual for Jarmusch, an interesting concept that offers something new, but doesn’t always work in its execution. The high concept is this: five vignettes about taxi drivers and their passengers, more or less happening at the same time, but in five different cities during one single night. The span of the cities (Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki) is different enough to offer different sights, but also different moods from comedy to tragedy. Is Night on Earth interesting? Sure. Does it have a good cast? Of course, in-between Winona Ryder, Gena Rowlands, Giancarlo Esposito, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Rosie Perez and Roberto Benigni. Is it well directed? Yes, although it doesn’t have any particularly energetic style. But is it any good? Well, that depends – Jarmusch fans don’t need to be told what to think of it, but for everyone else it will depend on how you react to the individual vignettes. Benigni is, of course, a specific taste, and the Helsinki sequence feels like a downer every time it pops up. The Los Angeles and New York segments will feel most familiar, although the Paris one does work quite well. In the end, as with most of Jarmusch’s films, the only way to find out how you’ll feel about his movies is to watch them – at least Night on Earth is distinct enough to be picked from any lineup.