English

Borrowing its title from William S. Burroughs' 1975 essay, which analyses systems of control, director Jim Jarmusch's latest feature is designed to reveal the folly of associating language with meaning. Together with cinematographer Christopher Doyle and an impressive cast including actors such as Isaach De Bankolé and Bill Murray Jarmusch takes us along on the minimalist journey of a nameless man; the Lone Man, on a mission in Spain.

Without revealing much of its protagonist's intentions, "The Limits of Control" tells an elliptic and repetitive story centred on his unknown mission. Rich in cultural quotations, it is guided by philosophical directives together with a Rimbaud-quotation and several nods to Jean-Luc Godard. The story's central mystery plays like a MacGuffin, paving the way for a rumination on creative idealism as a means to bridge language and national borders.

Doyle, known for his work with Wong Kar-wai, knows how to use the bright Spanish light to bring out unexpected levels of Jarmusch's work, making "The Limits of Control" on of Jarmusch most rewarding films.
LAURA PERKINS