Down by Law (1986) is a wry, ambling neo-noir comedy about three strangers who are arrested in New Orleans and held together in a single cell. Zack (Tom Waits), a disc jockey, Jack (John Lurie), a small-time pimp, and Bob (Roberto Benigni), an Italian tourist, form an unlikely bond while serving time for crimes they didn't commit.
Zack and Jack take a dislike to one another and soon come to blows within their cell, while Bob is unable to suppress his need for constant conversation. Bob ultimately hatches a plan for the trio to escape imprisonment together, resulting in the three men embarking on a surreal journey through the Louisiana bayou. Lost and desperate for nourishment, they eventually stumble upon the rural home of Nicoletta (Nicoletta Braschi), where they find refuge and, in Bob's case, unexpected fondness.
Written and directed by American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man, Only Lovers Left Alive), Down by Law is an idiosyncratic blend of comedy, drama and surrealism. Jarmusch's characters are humorously eccentric, while his narrative takes a leisurely approach to atmosphere and story development. Shot in charming black and white by Robby Müller, it's the type of film that gradually grows under your skin with its dream-like atmosphere and casual playfulness.
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