Down By Law

The 1986 Jarmusch film Down by Law caught my eye with it's unusual cast. It follows the story of three men (Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni) who run afoul of the law in New Orleans, and cross paths in prison. They are all rather unsavory characters; but Zach (Waits) a washed up radio DJ, and Jack (Lurie) a Pimp, were wrongfully accused of their crimes. In jail they meet up with Roberto, an eccentric, comical Italian (Bengini) who barely speaks english and happens to be the only guilty one in the cell. As their personalities clash, Roberto claims to know a way out, and their escape together begins.
The film is a nice effort from writer/director Jim Jarmusch, but it falls flat somewhere along the way. It is visually interesting, shot in stark black and white with lingering, creative shots, but the story and character development is lacking, and the visual aspects lose their charm after about half an hour. The actors do their best with the thin material, but it's not enough. The strongest performance comes from Bengini, one of the only bright spots in an otherwise bleak little story. Waits in my opinion was miscast, and Lurie forgettable. This is a case where the end result is less than the sum of its parts. I would politely call it a misfire that has its moments, but not enough to be engaging. I would recommend it only to serious Jarmusch fans, or even more serious Bengini fans, as both have better films to offer.