The film is certainly less ambitious than Dead Man or Ghost Dog, though it's by no means less personal. The main themes are the ethics of celebrity, the tensions and irritations that can arise between close friends and family members, and two Jarmusch standbys, shyness and loneliness. These themes and the recurring formal elements... give Coffee and Cigarettes an overall artistic coherence that's far from common in current movies.
Jonathan Rosenbaum
May 28, 2004