DIRECTED BY Jim Jarmusch

STARRING Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Meg White, Bill Murray, Steve Coogan

Opens October 22, Cert 15, 96 mins

Shot chiefly in four bursts (between ’86 and last year), this is Jarmusch’s low-key, long-nurtured pet project: a series of short vignettes in which various characters sit around talking. The common link is that, while they do, they’re fuelling up on caffeine and nicotine: a process which encourages cinematographers from Robby Muller to Tom DiCillo to have stylish fun with black and white. As with any set of shorts, some work better than others. The topics discussed across the table range from fame to green tea, but the success or failure of any scene lies largely with the cast. They’re nearly all names you’re curious to see, and while some are brilliantly charismatic, others fall flat on their arses. Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright get the ball rolling, very slowly. There’s comic misunderstanding as Mr Wacky and Mr Deadpan bewilder each other. Then Steve Buscemi’s explaining the true story of Elvis’ ‘disappearance’ to Mystery Train star Cinqu