In Jim Jarmusch's transitory anthology, five taxi-drivers pick up passengers and share ephemeral companionship over a single night (on Earth) in five different cities: Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki. Gum-munching, smoke-pluming tomboy Corky (Winona Ryder) picks up a prim Hollywood executive (Gena Rowlands) casting her latest picture. Ex-clown Helmut, who can barely drive his automatic, collects a highly-strung and highly-vocal YoYo (Giancarlo Esposito) as he bickers with his girl Angela (Rosie Perez). A frustrated Isaach De Bankolé stops for a prickly blind woman (Béatrice Dalle) who judges him on everything but his appearance. Roberto Benigni bothers a priest with his erratic manoeuvres and excessive confessions. And Matti Pellonpää deflates the plight of a group of drunks (all Kaurismäki regulars) by telling them the saddest story ever.

Set to a whimsical, percussive and growling Tom Waits soundtrack reminiscent of his Rain Dogs sound, Night on Earth is a delightful quintet of vignettes examining the strange, hilarious, sombre and beautiful relationship between cabby and passenger which transcends language and locale. Choosing his cities for his international cast, Jarmusch, who wrote the script in eight days, plays these performers off each other tremendously with scenarios that tickle, confuse, touch and most of all charm.