Rating: 
Summary: nice, better, damn!!
Review: I saw this movie for a schoolassignment, and therefor was forced to see it a couple of times in a row, it kept getting better. it's not a fast actionpacked movie but a slow well thought picture, I'm not a movie wizzard but I like them and this one is sooooo cool.
Rating: 
Summary: Elvis Dark Elvis Light.
Review: I think this film is quite good, but I disagree with the basic slant on it taken by the editor and the other customer reviews. I think this film is at least as much dark satire as it is celebration of the Elvis 'legacy'.
Jarmusch understands that comedy, the comic, is always rooted in irony and extreme contrast. But because it is rooted in irony, in contradiction, it is also never far away from nightmare. From beginning to end this beautiful little film overflows with ironies, harsh contrasts, comedy, and looming nightmare. People who don't grasp Jarmusch's deep feel for the proximity of comedy and nightmare call his style 'quirky'. But for Jarmusch this quirkiness is a dominant characteristic of the human condition, not merely an idiosyncrasy of his own.
To begin with consider the major inclusive contradiction that the entire film is set in, namely, that between the glory and wealth normally associated with Elvis and Graceland and the run down, trashed, Memphis that the film places us in. Jarmusch sets up the viewer by beginning with the very upbeat feel of the moving train and young Elvis singing the title song. From the first frames of the young Japanese couple on the train we know that they are going to Graceland and everything associated with that place immediately comes emotionally to mind. But Jarmusch deliberately drives against this mental/emotional current by leading us into a Memphis that feels more like a ghetto than the dream-home of our hero. From there the ironies just become continually more dense and subtle. By the time we reach the segment involving the gun-toting Britisher nicknamed 'Elvis', we are very close to a hell-world with only comedy to protect us from feeling its full impact. Clearly the legendary, fantasy Elvis that haunts every corner of this dark, shabby, sad, little world of Memphis is as oppressive and exploitative as it is liberating. When these two contradicting aspects collide it creates comedy in the film, but it creates comedy only because we don't want to deal directly with the darker aspects of the whole Elvis phenomenon involving racism, economic exploitation, consumer manipulation, etc. To see this film as a merely quirky, though skillful, tribute to the Elvis legacy is to miss its rich deeper layers. But then to see this one must be willing to acknowledge that Jarmusch might have something negative to say about the Elvis phenomenon and certain other aspects of americana. But whatever one's take on the film may be, I think that it must at least be admitted that Jarmusch probably had a good reason for mixing these extremes of dark and light, I mean a better reason than mere quirkiness. But the film stimulates a great deal of thought and felling and I recommend it highly to anyone interested in genuinely creative American cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Quirky
Review: I watched it twice before I understood it all (or at least I think I understood it). A great piece both for its comedy, its silence and its quirkiness.
Rating:
Summary: it does have subtitles
Review: I watched this film and assumed that if I were supposed to know what the translation was from Japanese, then they would have put it in the movie. So I watched it with no subtitles. By the end of the first story, I was so frustrated because I could tell that I was supposed to know what they were saying.
So I got online and saw that other people could see it with English subtitles. I tried what C Kueny said back in like 2000 on this very review page, and it worked. I had to push the subtitle button on the remote that came with the DVD player, and there were different French and Spanish options. I selected each of them, and sure enough, the third and fourth ones gave me English subtitles.
So now I need to watch this film again because I get the jist of what happened in the first part, but I don't understand it as well as I should. I gave the movie 4 stars because although it was a fun film and very interesting, some of the dialog was just strange and unrealistic (which I guess is part of its charm though). But it is very funny.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant piece of work
Review: Jarmusch does it again with excellence!!!!
Great character piece....
Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic and Funny...
Review: Jim Jarmusch hit the nail on the head with this film. I happened to come across it years ago while browsing in a video store. I was so captivated by it, I went out and rented another VCR so I could dub the copy of it on to a VHS tape. Perhaps that will shed some light on how good this movie is. Perhaps.I now have it on DVD and, since purchasing it, have watched it repeatedly. This movie sucks you in and never lets you go from the very opening shot. The cinematography, the dialogue, the direction...all are simply amazing. The humor too...it's a level of humor that is never loud or brash or "in your face." It's a witty sense of humor and it fits perfectly. Another thing that bears mentioning is the cast. The actors are amazing. Screamin' Jay, Joe Strummer, et al. All are just incredible. Definitely check this movie out. It has a very "Night on Earth" feel to it, if you've seen that movie. Basically four different story-lines, all inter-woven and inter-related, that sort of all come together in the end. Things happen from one point of you (i.e., the Japanese tourists hearing the gun shot while in the hotel room), then later you see what has happened from the other individual's point of view (i.e. the gun shot "victim"). Maybe that's done nothing but confused you, but take my word (for what it's worth) that it all comes together perfectly. I'm certain you will enjoy this one. Also, Tom Waits fans take note...you'll get to hear him in this flick. As an aside, I mentioned "Night on Earth"....if you like Tom Waits, get that movie as well. Enjoy kiddies.
Rating:
Summary: Memphis Soul Stew
Review: Jim Jarmusch's follow-up to 1986's "Down By Law" is an engrossing trio of stories revolving around one night in a run-down Memphis hotel. Continuing his tradition of casting musicians as actors, he enlists Joe Strummer as a British Elvis and the late Screamin' Jay Hawkins as the hotel night clerk. R&B great Rufus Thomas appears in the train station, and Tom Waits is the voice of the radio DJ. John Lurie provides the score, along with a fabulous soundtrack of classic Memphis music (from Elvis Presley to the Bar-Kays). The stories are intertwined, with certain events being shown from the perspective of each of the three sets of characters. The town has fallen a bit since its heyday as a musical hotbed, but the spirits of its past can be sensed in the delapitated buildings and landscapes, all lovingly embraced by Jarmusch's lens. All of the night shots were actually filmed at night, and some scenes are subtitled in Japanese and Italian. As is typical with Jarmusch's work, the action unfolds at a leisurely pace, and not without some humor. The film's juxtaposing of cultures is a popular theme with the director, and one he would use again in his next anthology piece, "Night On Earth." For fans of independent films, this is a wonderful and offbeat movie that would make an excellent addition to your DVD library.
Rating:
Summary: Memphis Soul Stew
Review: Jim Jarmusch's follow-up to 1986's "Down By Law" is an engrossing trio of stories revolving around one night in a run-down Memphis hotel. Continuing his tradition of casting musicians as actors, he enlists Joe Strummer as a British Elvis and the late Screamin' Jay Hawkins as the hotel night clerk. R&B great Rufus Thomas appears in the train station, and Tom Waits is the voice of the radio DJ. John Lurie provides the score, along with a fabulous soundtrack of classic Memphis music (from Elvis Presley to the Bar-Kays). The stories are intertwined, with certain events being shown from the perspective of each of the three sets of characters. The town has fallen a bit since its heyday as a musical hotbed, but the spirits of its past can be sensed in the delapitated buildings and landscapes, all lovingly embraced by Jarmusch's lens. All of the night shots were actually filmed at night, and some scenes are subtitled in Japanese and Italian. As is typical with Jarmusch's work, the action unfolds at a leisurely pace, and not without some humor. The film's juxtaposing of cultures is a popular theme with the director, and one he would use again in his next anthology piece, "Night On Earth." For fans of independent films, this is a wonderful and offbeat movie that would make an excellent addition to your DVD library.
Rating:
Summary: Elvis or Carl Perkins
Review: Jim Jarmusch, Elvis, Joe Strummer, Steve Buscemi, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. That is a portion of the cast, and enough for price of admission. The way Jarmusch captures Memphis is impressive. Altman did something similar about LA with ShortCuts. You get a taste of the city. You can almost smell it. Tom Waits wieghs in as a late night DJ and gives a convincing arguement for Elvis's Blue Moon as one of the all time, late night driving tunes.
Rating:
Summary: Jarmusch: The Master Of Minutiae
Review: Memphis is the setting, and the specter of Elvis pervades a trio of stories in "Mystery Train," written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. The three episodes that make up the movie are told separately and in their entirety, though they happen simultaneously in time, and share nothing more than a common local which serves as the hub around which the stories revolve. And with them, Jarmusch does what he does best: he invites the audience in to share some time with the individuals who populate his landscape, as he places them under the microscope to study the minutiae of their lives. In his hands, the details of everyday existence become fresh and new, like the first time you see a new city or make the acquaintance of a total stranger who forever after becomes a part of your life. It's an intimate style of filmmaking, almost voyeuristic, wherein the camera becomes the eyes of the audience and makes the viewer more than a mere onlooker; it places you in the scene, which allows you to experience what the characters are experiencing, to live what they are living. When someone is walking down the street, you're on that street with them, feeling the pavement beneath your feet; in the train depot, you drink in the atmosphere, feeling the texture of the walls, of the aged wood of the benches, smelling the age-old scents of time that hang on the air. You're there with the young couple from Japan, in Memphis to see Sun Studios and Graceland; and with the young widow from Rome, passing through with the casket of her late husband awaiting transport at the airport; and with three young men who have too much to drink and within a few hours find out how quickly life can become so complicated. Jarmusch works with such precision that it makes everything that happens seem spontaneous; it's an innate sense of knowing what works, and how to make that necessary connection with the audience by making all that transpires real. He's a skilled craftsman who knows what he wants and exactly how to deliver it. He creates the proper atmosphere, then introduces you to the characters through which his story will be told. And once the stage is set, Jarmusch knows that "who" these people are and what makes them unique is as important as the story itself, for in a sense, the characters "are" the story. It's an examination of human nature; of traits and of how people function under certain circumstances. And through each character the viewer gets a different perspective on what is happening, along with some insight into how we all relate to one another in a given situation, from the mundane to the bizarre. To tell his tale, Jarmusch has assembled a talented, eclectic cast of actors, including Masatoshi Nagase (Jun) and the charismatic Youki Kudoh (Mitsuko), the couple from Japan with opposing perspectives of Memphis; Nicoletta Braschi (Luisa), the widow awaiting a flight back to Rome; Elizabeth Bracco (Dee Dee), a young woman whose life is in transition; Tom Noonan (Man in Diner), a man with a menacing presence and a strange tale to tell; Steve Buscemi (Charlie), a regular guy led astray by trusting indifference, along with Rick Aviles (Will Robinson) and Lowell Roberts (Lester); Stephen Jones, a dead-ringer for Elvis who is extremely effective here as his ghost; and the two whose characters are pivotal to the story, Screamin' Jay Hawkins (Hotel Night Clerk), and Cinque Lee (The Bellboy). And--heard, but not seen-- Tom Waits (Voice of the Radio DJ). Thoroughly engrossing and highly entertaining, "Mystery Train" is vintage Jarmusch; a director whose minimalist techniques and style make for a satisfying and rewarding movie-going experience. He will not dazzle you with ILM F/X or feed you endless lines of witty dialogue; instead, he gives you more: A film that is artistically and cleverly rendered, with an engaging story and characters that are "real." An independent filmmaker who stays true to his personal "vision," Jarmusch gives you that which is rarely found in Hollywood. A film that is truly original.
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