'Broken Flowers' (R) (out of four)

Bill Murray's career has taken many twists and turns.

First, he was a wild and crazy guy on Saturday Night Live. Then he was the wiseguy comic actor in movies like "Ghostbusters" and "Caddyshack."

In the last couple of years, Murray has been more selective and has become more subdued with a wry sense of humor. The hints you see of his wild side add a dimension to his restrained performances that would not come through with other actors.

"Lost In Translation" was the first film where Murray's unique style was fully and completely realized. Sophia Copolla was able to help him shape his character and performance into something completely unique and endearing.

In "Broken Flowers," Murray attempts the same kind of character. Don Johnston is filled with ennui and an inability to motivate himself to take action. His life consists of sitting (not lying) on his couch, straight as a stick, watching TV or listening to music. He barely has enough ambition to even get off the sofa to answer the phone, let alone stop his fed-up girlfriend (Julie Delpy) from walking out on him.

This time, however, the character doesn't really fit with his background. It is almost impossible to figure out how he could have been such a ladies man for so many years and such a genius with computers that he made a fortune -- although he refuses to have a computer in his house now.

Even a pink letter from an anonymous former flame claiming that he has a 19-year-old son who may be seeking him out isn't enough to move him until his amateur sleuth neighbor, Winston (Jeffrey Wright) tracks down the women who could have sent the letter and makes all the arrangements for him to seek them out.

Like a robot, Don goes through the motions of checking each woman out. One woman (Sharon Stone) is the widow of a NASCAR racer with a nubile young daughter named Lolita. The next woman (Frances Conroy) is in business with her husband in a prefab life selling prefab homes -- in stark contrast to her flower-child beginnings. Then, he hunts down a woman (Jessica Lange) who is now an animal communicator and really wants nothing to do with him. Finally, he tracks down a woman (Tilda Swinton) who carries a gigantic chip on her shoulder and a biker family to back her up.

Throughout these encounters, we see little glimpses of charm that might be a clue as to why these varied women were drawn to him. But, for me, it just wasn't enough to explain the magnetism necessary for Don's history in business and with women. It also isn't very clear why he seems paralyzed to move forward or backward in his life. Only when he is relating to his neighbor, an Ethiopian national with a lively family, does Don seem to be comfortable.

There are no pat answers in the end, which is just the way director Jim Jarmusch works, but it can be frustrating to people looking for a payoff.

"Broken Flowers" is a fascinating look at a broken life and regrets from the past that might be able to be put together, but might never be able to be made whole.