Review: ‘The Limits of Control’ is Jim Jarmusch’s Most Underrated Film
Jarmusch’s take on a travelling assassin is suave, slowly paced and oozing with cool
The majority of Jim Jarmusch’s films have, however slowly, found their way to an established cult fanbase which secures their place in film history. The best of them have, anyway — Ghost Dog, Mystery Train, Down by Law, Paterson, etc. Broken Flowers deserves a little more love, I would say, but generally Jarmusch’s work is held close to the hearts of fans of independent film.
There is one harsh exception, though. The Limits of Control has never really received that open-armed love. (Okay, neither has The Dead Don’t Die, but that film is terribly bland, Jarmusch’s one real failure other than his very first film Permanent Vacation). Why has this film been left aside?
The answer is pretty simple, even if it is two-pronged — pacing is one issue, and narrative clarity is the other. I adore this film, but even I don’t have that strong a grip on what is going on narratively at the best of times. The film, quite slowly, follows Isaach de Bankole’s unnamed protagonist as he ventures through Spain searching for… something. Jarmusch gives the viewer very little to grip onto narratively — the characters aren’t defined by their personalities (which…
