Review: Motherless Brooklyn

Set in the 1950’s, we follow a man trying to unravel a murder, a mystery and his place in the world. In this New York landscape we find secrets and power driving characters to what they desire. In true detective fashion, we follow our hero and hear his thoughts as he overcomes the odds.

Our story begins with Lionel (Edward Norton), as he sets the stage for his character. “Now listen, I have something wrong with me” is his introduction, but it isn’t where his character stays. You see in him a need to grow and be accepted. Some of which is already being helped along by his Private Detective friend and boss Frank Minna (Bruce Willis). A man that believes in Lionel to pay attention and follow his commands.

Unfortunately, Minna’s secretive nature leads to a deadly situation. What he knows and the secrets he’s hiding bring heavyweight people down upon him. Unable to let things go, Lionel is driven to find the men responsible.
Starting with minimal clues, he must unravel what Frank knew and what could be so important that the pillars of the city would chase him down.

I could giver you more of the story, but I don’t want to unfold this fortune cookie too much. Lots of twists and turns occur before the full picture comes to light. What I will say is that Edward Norton has delivered one of the most balanced character and story that I’ve seen in some time. Already an amazing actor, his direction pulls through perfectly as we learn to understand the world from Lionel’s point of view. His faults and tics make him the perfect vehicle to observe the world as if you aren’t there. This film is a true tour de force for Norton, a colorful character that lends a brush to an already impressive painter.

Surrounding Norton are strong performances by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin and Willem Dafoe. All of which deliver information and emotions from a real and singular standpoint. Bruce Willis is also a titled character, but does not reside in the picture too long, which is a little surprising at first, considering the film is close to 2 1/2 hours long. But once you settle into the story, you realize that it couldn’t have been any other way.

Bright spotlights fly across characters, but mostly reside on Norton’s Lionel Essrog. A man that defined himself broken, only to be shown as the most complete person in this story. I very much liked the film, thought I do wish it was a tad shorter. Though, I didn’t find myself bored or overtly put out during the film. More than an festival piece or award season bait, Motherless Brooklyn is an original tale that defines why cinema is an art form.

Grade: B+
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 2h 24m