Coffee and Cigarettes

The dialog of this movie is hard to get used to at first. It’s rough and catches you off guard at several points. The first scene especially where the two gentlemen are drinking coffee and one ends up filling in for the other at a dentist appointment. This action goes against common expectations for a meeting and tells you that the Russian gentleman, who sees nothing wrong with the exchange and is actually quite pleased, is somewhat unaccustomed to American society.

The second scene also provides an insight into the characters through unusual actions as well as dialog. The twins are alike in their mannerisms and in their clothing but it’s the dialog that separates them from each other and culturally from the bus boy.

The scene with Renee conveys more through “anti-dialog” than through the actual speech of the characters. Renee never says much and all the waiter does is apologize, but it is his movements that portray a shyness and a pitiful need to speak with Renee whom he finds so attractive.