Permanent Vacation is a 1980 movie directed by Jim Jarmusch.
Permanent Vacation tells the story of Aloysius Parker, a self-professed drifter who is searching for a deeper meaning to his life. He wanders through New York City and meets a variety of unique individuals during his quest.
In some respects, Permanent Vacation feels as aimless as its main character. This is a meandering movie that doesn’t follow any traditional narrative structure nor presents any deeper moral message. We’re immediately warned of this through Allie’s narration: “This is the story of how I got from there to here or I should say from here to here.”
However, Jarmusch does an extraordinary job staging an environment that feels more like an expose. Naturally, there’s a low budget ethos that contributes to the movie’s gritty, natural feel. Yet, the writing and subdued acting performances allows Permanent Vacation to function more as a documentary.
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