CANNES, France - Bill Murray, riding high on his comeback in "Lost in Translation", stars as an aging Don Juan seeking redemption in Jim Jarmusch`s "Broken Flowers", a strong contender Tuesday at the Cannes film festival.
Murray plays Don Johnston, an over-the-hill bachelor who receives a anonymous letter from an old flame saying that he fathered her child 20 years before.
The news sets him off on a road trip to see the loves of his past -- an impressive roster including women played by Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton, Jessica Lange and Julie Delpy.
Jarmusch, who used Murray to deliciously comic effect in his 2003 episode film "Coffee and Cigarettes", draws out the more reflective qualities of the 54-year-old veteran here along with flashes of his legendary humor.
Murray, who won his first Oscar nomination last year for his role as a washed-up actor in Sofia Coppola`s "Lost in Translation", told reporters that the role of Don had appealed to him as true to life.
"It`s hard to go back and meet the loves of your life. You kind of misremember exactly how well it went at the time sometimes," Murray said.
"And when you go back, you`re going to be affected not only by the hurt that you caused but also by the love that you may have passed on. And if you`ve forgotten any of it then it still affects you when you seen them."
Murray, whose son Homer has a brief cameo in the picture, was asked whether the "minimalism" of his recent films marked a break with the raucous funny man of his 1980s hits such as "Caddyshack", "Stripes" and "Ghostbusters".
"I think in my case the minimalism comes from a deterioration of ability and an erosion of skill," Murray said in his trademark deadpan. "So I have less and less to give all the time."
Jarmusch, who has premiered nearly all of his films in Cannes since his 1984 breakthrough "Stranger Than Paradise", said he, like Coppola, had written the part with Murray in mind.
The fiercely independent director said that he had managed to maintain his total creative freedom in the United States while still gaining financing.
"I always negotiate my financing deals basically with a loaded shotgun because I have to do things my own way otherwise I don`t do them. I don`t make studio films," he said.
"This film was made exactly, and under the same premises, as all my films. I had complete control over the casting, the editing, the shooting of the film, all collaborations. The story is mine... I`m always very leery of people`s interference in the films."
"Broken Flowers" is one of two films dealing with men unprepared for fatherhood that entered the Cannes competition Tuesday.
"The Child" by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne tells the story of a petty thief who sells his newborn baby for quick cash and, only after realizing the agony he has caused his girlfriend, struggles to put things right.
Audiences liked the strong performances by the two leads, particularly Jeremie Renier`s turn as the errant father, but found the subject depressing and the staging sluggish.
Another film about fatherhood, "Shanghai Dreams", by Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, also screened in competition, although it leaned more towards being a social essay.
The films are among 21 pictures vying for the Palme d`Or at the festival, which runs through May 22.
05/17/2005 12:45 GMT