Motherless Brooklyn

If you couldn't keep up with Chinatown's and LA Confidential's plot and continuous placing and connecting of characters' names associated with civic and political corruption then Motherless Brooklyn will have you drowning in it.

That's why I give it a seven rating. It's almost 2 1/2 hours of figuring out what's going on and who's doing it, but at least the look and sound of the movie provides a huge respite with the best sounding Bee Bop jazz and lush background theme soundtrack I've ever heard in a movie.

As a photographer I thought the cinematography was stunning in color and composition, less film noir and more '50's style New York street Kodachrome photography with compositions of odd reflections and angles interspersed smoothly with the flow of the narrative master shots in a style similar to Winogrand and Vivian Maier.

The variety of vintage '50's automobiles in pristine and brand new condition with the rich look of Kodachrome color is another treat. The sound of the rattle of car doors slamming is even accurate.

After the end of this film, I was very grateful to Edward Norton. For the wise craft of each piece of the film. For atmosphere, music, cast, for the story and , sure , the New York of 1950. And for his Lionel Essrog. A seductive film for details, performances and for something defining a fine director. Sure, many lines of plot, to generous perspective and the end as a sort of compromise. But the good use of Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis and Willem Dafoe is just a noble virtue. Not ignoring the job of Edward Dafoe himself and good jazz, smart use of interracial problems, the abuses for urban solutions and the reasonable solution for a delicate case. So, very subjective, a film reminding the art of Edward the Great.

I went into this not expecting much but Edward Norton gave till it hurt. Overall, this was a great movie with some amazing performances by Norton and his fantastic ensemble cast. So well acted by such fine actors. It's a very good murder mystery. That classic gum shoe style was done perfectly. I love the art direction. He painted a great picture of 50s style New York. And the music was stellar. Those jazz numbers really blended in perfectly with the atmosphere. Then I had that one piece of music made by Thom Yorke of Radiohead (you'll know it once you hear). This was a really great movie.

Edward Norton has Tourette's Syndrome, which comes out when he is stressed, which does not include driving a car, or getting into a gunfight or walking into a strange location when you expect them to kill you. He works for Bruce Willis, who runs a detective agency out of Brooklyn. Willis gets kidnapped and shot, so Norton is the man in the shop who is supposed to track down the killer. This leads him on a tour of an alternate 1956 New York City, which seems to be populated by great actors like Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Cherry Jones, Bobby Cannavale and Alec Baldwin as a megalomaniac closely modeled on Robert Moses. One of them is the bad guy. Guess which and why.... I had it figured out four minutes before Norton did, but then, I don't have Tourette's. Still, that means it's a fair mystery.... not who, but why.

Mostly, though, it's a chance for actors to strut their stuff, and none more so than Norton, who besides having Tourette's has an eidetic memory, smokes pot to control his symptoms, and will never be rich. No one seems to be put off by his tics, including touching women, making comments which are mildly lewd, making noises while jazz musicians play, and in one scene where he is trying to light a lady's cigarette, repeatedly lighting a match and blowing it out before it can get to the cigarette. Everyone is astonishingly enlightened, except, of course, Baldwin. Being evil, he hates poor people, and Blacks in particular.

Good acting, but when I want to visit 1956 New York City, I don't want everyone there to be from 2019. Still, some great acting, some great locations, and the CGI recreation of Penn Station revives my anger towards the morons who tore it down.

Motherless Brooklyn is a modern film Noir about a troubled man seeking answers, exploring new worlds within familiar ones, and going toe-to-toe with violent thugs and oppressive tyrants, in the heart of New York during its blossoming years. It also just may be Edward Norton's "Sling Blade."

Some of its most noticeable achievements, are the visual and audial elements. With the gloomy, yet bustling sets, and the somber, thoughtful soundtrack, the effective lighting and mood of each shot, it's a brilliant homage to the classic Noir style. It's not even just a throwback, but could eventually be considered a monumental addition to the genre.

And the acting. Expect nothing less from such a stellar, experienced, well thought out cast. Edward Norton nailed it especially, and shines a humorous, yet wondrous and even educational light on Tourette's syndrome. Excellent performances by all.

Story-wise, it's nothing groundbreaking. But it's certainly engaging. One can tell it's no cookie-cutter script, a lot of heart went into it. Sure some may find it boring, slow, presumptuous even. Others will find it exhilarating, and refreshing. Hopefully most will find the passion, love, message, and humor in it, and also discover that it could be that movie which so many people have been wishing Hollywood would make, instead of those dry, cash-cow blockbusters that stain the very heart and art of filmmaking itself. While also being unique in its own way, it's also familiar, without being too familiar if you know what I mean.

I wish Bruce Willis was in it more, and there are some plot holes and mildly annoying coincidences, cliches, etc. These are few and far in between. While it can be difficult to follow at times, it's still quite a fantastic movie.

Those who would enjoy this movie, probably also enjoyed other titles like Chinatown, L.A. Confidential, Road to Perdition, The Sting, Double Indemnity. See it in theaters, you'll find yourself driving down Nostalgia lane in a vintage 1950's Chevy.