Motherless brooklyn nytimes review
Motherless Brooklyn is a 2019 American neo-noir crime movie written, produced , and directed by Edward Norton, based on Jonathan Lethem ‘s 1999 novel of the same name. Set in 1957 in New York City, the film follows a private investigator with Tourette’s syndrome who is determined to resolve his mentor ‘s murder.
The movie also stars Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bobby Cannavale, Cherry Jones, Alec Baldwin and Willem Dafoe along with Norton.
Since he read Lethem ‘s novel in 1999, Norton’s passion project has taken the film nearly 20 years to go into development. The movie is considerably different from the book. Although the book is set in the present day,
Norton felt the story and dialog lent itself more to a noir setting — moving it into the 1950s, with several plot points added inspired by The Power Broker. Other cast members joined by February 2018, and main photography started that same month.
The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on 30th August 2019 and was released by Warner Bros in the United States on 1st November 2019. Photos. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performance of Norton and the concepts of the film but criticism for its length and deviations from its source novel. The film received a nomination for Best Original Score at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.
If that sounds good, well-meaning and painfully slow, I can only conclude that Norton makes it work, spinning it into a winding story that demands your attention, undeniably.
26th February, 2020 Note: 4/5 Full summary …
Sandra Foyer
Sydney Morning News News
Current Ratings
The rest is a sluggish film noir pastiche (the setting of the novel was inexplicably shifted from the late 1990s to the 1950s) that aims to emulate Chinatown’s jazzy intrigue, but only delivers clichés and screen-chewing vanities.
9th of December 2019 Note: 2/5 Full review …
And Kevin Maher
It took two decades for Norton to make Motherless Brooklyn, and the result is a film that’s marvelously out of time: one in which the hero isn’t trying to save the world, only understand.
5 December 2019 Rating: 5/5 Analysis to the full …
With Robbie Collin
Daily Telegraph (Germany)
Top Ratings
A 145-minute bloated crime flick with a gimmicky protagonist investigating a murder-and-corruption plot that’s prone to cliché.
4 December 2019 Rating: 2/5 Review to the full …
With Nigel Andrews
Financial Gazette
Top Ratings
This beautifully crafted, deliciously compelling and chillingly atmospheric noir film is a fabulous showcase and a reminder of the talented actor of 50 years.
