The mystery genre is probably about as old as movies themselves, and when they are released, they often have a popular following. Whodunit films are notoriously popular, especially from those that exceed the age of early 40's. "Motherless Brooklyn" isn't actually a whodunit, however it is a mesmerizing mystery replete with private detectives, political intrigue and many clues.
Set against the backdrop of 1950's New York, this story follows Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), a lonely private detective living with Tourette Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna (Bruce Willis). Armed with only a few clues and the engine of his obsessive mind, Lionel unravels closely-guarded secrets that hold the fate of the whole city in the balance. In a mystery that carries him from gin-soaked jazz clubs in Harlem to the hard-edged slums of Brooklyn and, finally, into the gilded halls of New York's power brokers, Lionel contends with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city, building magnate Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin). With the help from colleague, Tony Vermonte (Bobby Cannavale), person of interest, Laura Rose (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and the Trumpet Man (Michael Kenneth Williams), Lionel can circumvent the twists and turns of a political machine set up for the rich and not for the poor.
Others to round out the cast are Cherry Jones as Gabby Horowitz, Willem Dafoe as Paul, Ethan Suplee as Gilbert Coney, Josh Pais as William Lieberman, Robert Ray Wisdom as Billy Rose, Peter Lewis as Mayor, Dallas Roberts as Danny Fantl and Fisher Stevens as Lou.
This was brilliantly directed by Edward Norton ("Keeping the Faith" 2000). The nuances of these diverse characters were delineated with amazing expertise, and considering this filmmaker only has one other film behind the camera under his belt, this amazes me that much more. I've seen seasoned directors that weren't as talented with encouraging their actors to emit the emotions that would be needed as much as this pro. He undoubtedly will receive more work, and when, not if, when his next film is released, I will be there. What's more remarkable is that this is Norton's first theatrical film he has written! It was well thought out and concise, and even though it is based on Jonathan Lethem's novel, his recreation of Lethem's novel was delineated and scripted well. Other than a couple of very small places of choppiness--I won't go into what they were lest it spoiling the plot, this storyline soared. With all the remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels, franchises and continuations, this is an incredible breath of fresh air. Without looking at my research, I assumed that Norton had several films in which he had written to his credit. So it was a shock, albeit a pleasant one, to find out that this is his first feature he has written. Certainly him being a passionate and talented actor has given him an edge in the directing and writing realm, but I had no idea that he was this talented. As long as he desires to continue writing and directing, he will create more films.
Whether you are a Norton fan or not, this film is an amazingly well crafted American film. Surely, it will be honored with an Academy Award nomination or two. It is even one of Norton's finer performances to date, and that's high praise considering this actor is a consummate pro with a ton of acting experience to his credit.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 144mins.
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