This time capsule of bohemian New York distorts its representation of the city for reasons more loving than lazy.
In the film, what starts as a subtle undercurrent of knowing humor curdles into overt self-referentiality.
Jarmusch’s breakthrough film gets a sturdy upgrade from Criterion, with richer visuals that testify to its spartan beauty.
Its depiction of friendship seldom pushes past insights predicated on a fundamental tension between characters.
It takes the aesthetic premise of Louie, in which the world around its protagonist matches his passive, fatalistic outlook, to its logical extreme.
Parts four and five of “Elevator” devote nearly half their running times to extended digressions.
“Elevator Part 3” finds Louie displaying darker facets of his personality.