Steven Spielberg once stated early in his career that he didn't want to make films, but that he wanted to make movies. While to the average filmgoer the two may seem to be one and the same, they often tend to run in opposite directions. Movies seek to entertain, to get your adrenaline up and your heart rate going. Films, conversely, serve more toward expanding and experimenting and act as mediums of social commentary.

While Spielberg may be the greatest "moviemaker of all time," Jim Jarmusch is his rival on the other end of the spectrum. Having directed some 12 films over the past 20 years, many of which stand as cornerstones of American independent film, Jarmusch is the living personification of the indie-film spirit, a courageously inventive, no-holds-barred filmmaking patriot who prefers style over structure and nuance over explicitness. He's never won an Oscar, nor has he made millions in the box office. Yet his presence in Hollywood and the B-movie underworld has been felt by the masses.

However, being independent film's most respected innovator has its drawbacks. Filmmaking is an art, and as with all art forms, when you're on track you strike gold, but when you're off it leaves somewhat of a bitter taste in your mouth, a lingering hunger that needs to be satisfied. "Coffee and Cigarettes," Jarmusch's latest offering, falls somewhere in the middle, offering a collection of vignettes of varying degrees of effectiveness that attempt to explain the link between caffeine, nicotine and our relationship with the people around us.

Originally created as a series of three short films for NBC's "Saturday Night Live" during the 1980s, "Coffee and Cigarettes" is an uneven mesh of short skits centered upon the film's namesake. A wide array of notable names and faces drop in and out of the film, many of which belong to Jarmusch film regulars. Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni kick things off with a humorous encounter between two people from radically different worlds, where Wright convinces the all-too-eager and naïve Benigni to go to the dentist for him.

Other bright spots include musicians Iggy Pop and Tom Waits meeting for a drink and a smoke; both have plenty to say on-record but nothing to say to one another. The result is a hilariously awkward scene of long pauses and desperate attempts to establish common ground between rock and roll legends. Bill Murray, RZA and Genius/GZA — the latter two from the Wu Tang Clan — also make strong cameo appearances.

But for all the strong scenes and genuinely funny moments the film manages to dish out to its viewers, just as many fail to translate and deliver. Jack and Meg White wax philosophical on the importance of the Tesla coil and come across as little more than a waste of film. The characters' dialogue and mannerisms seem forced and out of place for the most part, ruining many situations that may have looked good on paper but don't resonate on screen.

Jarmusch is a quirky filmmaker, and unfortunately most of the cast fails to adapt to the film's fiercely minimal, deadpan style. Those who do rise to the occasion, such as Steve Coogan, Alfred Molina and Steve Buscemi, are those with a background in improvisation and a taste for things outside the mainstream. Aside from a few strong performances and well-written scenes, the film drags on for long stretches with little resolution.

The DVD's extras make things a little more worthwhile. A brief, yet funny alternate scene between Bill Murray and the Wu Tang Clan provides one of the funnier moments on the disc, while a musical montage including crane shots of all the different table tops used throughout the film is an interesting piece of filmmaking that only someone of Jarmusch's caliber could orchestrate.

"Coffee and Cigarettes" is not an altogether bad film. The high points render it more worthwhile than many other films out there. In the long run, the film likely won't stimulate viewers as much as the title would lead one to believe.

Grade: BC

Special features: B