Bagdad Cafe

Since signing up with Netflix's streaming service a little over a month ago, Josh and I have watched a lot of movies.  And, because we'll give just about anything 15 minutes to prove itself, we've seen quite a few really bad movies, a large number of mediocre and pretty good movies, and a few truly great movies.  Last night, we found Bagdad Cafe, and it's one of the best movies we've watched on Netflix to date.

The story takes place at a truck-stop/cafe/motel in the Mojave Desert, and follows Jasmin, a German tourist, and Brenda, owner of the Bagdad Cafe, both who have recently separated from their husbands.  After a rough start, they begin to form a bond and a friendship blossoms.  It's a German film, and is billed as a comedy, though there are more serious undertones.  The theme song, "Calling You," is played throughout the movie, and is hauntingly beautiful and simple.

I really liked Bagdad Cafe for a lot of reasons.  The storyline was simple, heartwarming, funny and interwoven with colorful characters.  (Jack Palance was a favorite.)  The cinematography was excellent, and brings out the beauty of the desert.  There are no big special effects to detract from the story, outside of a few filters and over-saturated colors in some scenes.  In telling the story, enough is revealed to understand the relationships and bonds that form between the characters, but not so much that you're hit over the head with every detail.  You get to use your imagination to fill in the gaps, which I love.  Overall, I really enjoyed Bagdad Cafe, and highly recommend it.

Happy Thursday!