Stranger Than Paradise
Composite Score: 83.27
Starring: John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson, Cecillia Stark, Danny Rosen, and Rammellzee
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Writers: Jim Jarmusch and John Lurie
Genres: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Box Office: $2.44 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Stranger Than Paradise is Jim Jarmusch’s film about a Hungarian immigrant, his friend, and his cousin searching for wealth, belonging, and meaning in the early 80s in the U.S. It stars John Lurie as Willie, a resident of New York who spends his time running scams and gambling with his friend Eddie (Richard Edson) until his cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) comes to stay with him for 10 days and starts to suggest bigger possibilities for all of them. The indie film’s vignette-style storytelling and its earnest picture of youth in America, specifically young immigrants, garnered critical acclaim and helped launch Jarmusch’s career as a director.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Stranger Than Paradise might not be the headiest film in terms of its concept or execution, but its style and story still have the lingering feel of an art house film, which may or may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you are a fan of Jarmusch’s other work and/or his inspirations, this will definitely be worth the watch. If you’re not a Jarmusch fan, I’m not sure that this is the one that will change your mind. The authenticity and dry humor is incredibly endearing, but those are attributes of his other films as well, so I don’t know that this does a lot to win over new viewers. For people looking for a clear conflict and formulaic story, Stranger Than Paradise will probably feel a bit too experimental. At this point, if you’ve been following along with the blog, you know that I’m a big proponent of every film being worth watching, and I stand by that. Nevertheless, some films are easier to market to more mainstream audiences than others, and this one is definitely a harder sell.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Jarmusch has done a great job in capturing reality in the fiction of Stranger Than Paradise. Willie, Eva, and Eddie all three feel like representations of actual people that the writer-director knew or had interacted with. Willie’s dogged pursuit of the American dream despite his complete lack of any noteworthy marketable skills or motivation feels like it captures the essence of lower-class first or second generation immigrants to the U.S. in a single character study. Eva’s positivity and fascination with all things new without ever losing her tenacity is reminiscent of so many other characters and women from 1980s film and television that I’d call her a caricature if the performance wasn’t so genuine. Eddie’s worldly optimism makes him the perfect best friend character to both Willie and Eva. With more knowledge of America but the exact same social situation, he manages to be the film’s comedic heart, making jokes (often unintentionally) that come across as organic and never played just for laughs. Together, the film’s central characters are sure to endear it to the audience thanks to Jarmusch’s consistent writing of authentic and likable humans.
Stranger Than Paradise’s story of ambition and discovery in America is carried by its three leads - Willie, Eva, and Eddie - who take the film’s simple concept and make it something worthy of a place among the greats. The film’s inherently indie style might not be everyone’s dream film, but its heart and realism should win over some of the more stubborn viewers who are willing to stick it out. This film is currently available to stream on HBO Max if you’d like to give it a shot.
