Sr. Ninguém

This beautiful surreal movie is full of memorable lines that will make you reconsider your outlook on life, but this one is my favorite:

"At my age, the candles cost more than the cake. I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid I haven't been alive enough. It should be written on every schoolroom blackboard: Life is a playground - or nothing."

9/10

This film is not for everyone. It has a sprawling, non-linear, non-conventional approach to storytelling. It follows the life (lives) of a man called Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto) whose life could have followed multiple different paths depending upon the smallest of chance occurrences.

Whereas films such as Sliding Doors follow a simple two-path narrative, this film has multiple branches. The achievement is that all of them are interesting (in different ways) and it never feels confused.

The central theme is love, and how random chances affect who we love, and how that love changes. There is joy, loss, betrayal, grief and a whole swath of other emotions on display here. My only complaint is that there is no really satisfying conclusion to the film, but I am not even sure that such a thing is possible.

If you are willing to try something different, something unconventional, that doesn't necessarily make sense, then give this a try. If nothing else, it will give you something to think about.

This is one of those movies that you want to see at least a second time, because even though the first viewing is perfectly satisfying, you just know you'll pick up more the second, and third, time around. I lost track of how many parallel lives the main character was remembering, and as far as I could tell, it was never really explained how he could be aware of so many parallel universes, but those are minor points in a film that seeks to bring up ideas to be pondered. And it does just that. I think this would be a great first date movie, because the potential for it sparking a meaningful conversation/debate is tremendous. The main point, of course, is that every decision we make affects the path that the rest of our life takes, and there are many of these turning points in a lifetime. There are also ideas about the nature of reality, which I found intriguing. I don't think it will be long before I give this a second view. The only criticism I have is that, even though there were some fairly dramatic moments, and the acting was good, I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters. There was much more of a sense of detachment than I would have liked to have seen in a movie like this. But all in all... great film. A must see for anyone who likes to ponder life's imponderables.

How to review this film without giving too much away? Throughout the film, I was constantly surprised and amazed. I think my mouth was hanging slightly open a few times from the brilliance on display. I was totally captivated from start to finish. Taken simply, it's a philosophical sci-fi film, but it's so much more than that. It's about choices, destinies, astrophysics, dreams and memories, just to name a few themes. Taken at its simplest, it's the jumbled recollections of the last mortal man, 118 years old, on Earth in 2092. The problem is that his memories are in total disorder and contradictory. In practice, it means that this is a very non-linear experience in terms of time and space, real and imaginary, showing you results of important choices either way. It doesn't focus on just 2 alternate lives either, things constantly branch out. You would think the film would be a mess, but it's surprisingly cohesive, gripping and even quite touching. I'm sure some will find it confusing, but that's part of the point: Mr. Nobody's memories seem confused and appearances might be deceiving.

I found it extremely romantic despite the fact there are 3 very different love interests. One might say that sometimes the dialogue in romantic parts was corny, but I think that the most beautiful declarations of love can be the simplest as long as they are sincere. They felt that way here. The acting was top-notch all over the board with no weak performance in sight. Mr. Nobody's makeup and voice as an old man were perhaps a little distracting but nothing major. It's not a special effects extravaganza, but what was seen was quite imaginative and beautiful to behold. I think the contrast with the more mundane stuff going on makes them even more impressive. Visually, it has an incredible number of different angles and viewpoints all extremely well shot. What's amazing is that the (often) brilliant transitions flow so well from one to another without being jarring.

There are so many story threads (most fascinating), so many changes of tones (whimsical to tragic) and so much range (from intimate to grandiose). I think people who like to analyze films would have a field day with this one although it's possible they would nitpick on the borrowed elements. There's also lots of food for thought and should provoke very interesting discussions afterwards especially on what might have happened if choices in your life had been different. Contrary to most films where I tend to think of what I will write in my review as the film is going on, it did not really happen here. I was totally absorbed and that's rare. The choice of songs and musics, mostly known, was excellent and added a lot especially in romantic parts. I'm even considering buying the soundtrack. Mr. Nobody is a challenging but very rewarding film to watch . I don't think it's for everyone, mostly because of its non-linear structure, but those who appreciate unconventional films like Brazil, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Vanilla Sky or Big Fish should be quite pleased. I loved Mr. Nobody and it has become one of my new favorite films. To be quite honest, I wish I could see it again right now... Very highly recommended particularly with someone special.

Rating : 9.5 out of 10 (not full 10 because ending could have been better)

Of course I understand if someone says/thinks this is pretentious. But if you're a fan of weird Science Fiction and/or Terry Gilliam, you should feel right at home. This really out there movie, gives you a lot to think about (if you're up for it). It's also kind of a twisted version of Lola Runs.

It just takes that "what would happen if" concept to another level (or is it dimension?). Every decision you make has consequences. The bigger the decision the bigger the consequences obviously. Which doesn't mean that small things don't matter. Quite the opposite, but the movie has to concentrate on a few things and it does so very well. Nicely acted and maybe not the easiest movie to follow this is executed very well ...