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Mr. Nobody
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Magnolia Pictures Review written by and copyright: Ethan Stevenson (2nd February 2014). |
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The Film
 "Everything could have been anything else and it would have just as much meaning." Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto) is 118 years old. Or at least he will be in a day’s time. Nemo is the last living mortal on Earth in an era where regenerative cell therapies have made disease an improbability, life essentially everlasting, and natural death impossible for almost anyone. A relic of a time gone by, Nemo is a curiosity in this slightly dystopic future, where simple pleasures and once-acceptable vices have become taboo if not outright illegal in the service of persistent, youthful endurance. In an almost child like way, no one has sex anymore because, since no one dies, the human race no longer needs to breed to survive; no one smokes, no one drinks, no one eats fatty or sugary foods, under the belief that, if they're going to live forever, they might as well do so in top physical form. Forever alive without actually living, the immortals of tomorrow live vicariously through those of yesterday; people like Nemo, who did experience, and taste the forbidden fruit, so to speak. An eavesdropping public tune in each day to watch a live feed of the mundane aspects of Nemo's life in a hospital room, where he lay on his deathbed and might just become the last person in human history to die of old age. During the day, a strange doctor with geometric face tattoos attempts to coax memories out of a man in the throes of dementia; in his grilling, Nemo remains silent. At night, a reporter (Daniel Mays) secretly ask questions; only he tapes the session with the dying man as Nemo rapidly recounts the tale of his most curious life in confounding detail. Shifting between his present day (which is some time in our distant future), his formative years--ages 9 (where he's played by Thomas Byrne) and 15 (Toby Regbo)--and early middle age (Leto again; this time without the old man makeup), Nemo's narrative literally spans across time and space. This story of Nobody is quite the surrealistic fantasy. Or maybe it’s really an accurate history of alternate reality? In his deteriorated mental state, it's possible that Nemo can no longer remember his past—he jumps around, and his actions in these stories aren't always followed by logical consequences, or anything resembling reality at all. Either that, or, in a far more bizarre possibility, Nemo has actually lived multiple lives at once and is only now remembering each one vividly in a fever-dream on death's door. The old man winds a yarn in which he sees all and knows just as much, reflecting on his relationships with his mother (Natasha Little) and father (Rhys Ifans), his girlfriends and wives, and subsequent children. He charts his career—as an author, a TV presenter, grungy loft-living artist, and sharp-suited suicidal businessman—and reveals his utmost personal details, diving to the depths of his deepest lows, soaring to his highest peaks. He takes those listening (the reporter; us) on a journey from his birth to his death and back, in an existential attempt to find meaning and reason… or maybe just to hear himself talk. At one point in his story, Nemo recalls the pivotal day his mother left his father. As a young boy, he was presented with an impossible choice; he could stay with his father or go with his mother. In the first version of his tale, the 9 year old Nemo makes a last minute decision and chases after his mother's departing train, reaching her just in time, pulled aboard by the woman, right before the end of the platform. Once onboard, time moves forward, and mother and son move to the city. Neither ever see father again. Mother remarries; Nemo falls in love with his step-sister, Anna (Juno Temple), and they have a torrid affair, but are separated when mother and her new husband divorce, and Anna moves away. Years later, as adults, Nemo and Anna (Dianne Kruger) reconnect, and plan to start a family before fate intervenes. In another version of this story, the son stays behind with father, who falls ill in the boy's teenage years. The son grows to resent his mother, never seeing her again. In this version, Nemo—an awkward loner, who spends his free time holed up in his bedroom writing a science fiction novel about a journey to Mars (30 seconds to it, perhaps? Geddit?)—gawkishly grovels from afar, pining for a messed up local harpy named Elise (Clare Stone), who ultimately falls for him too, awkwardness and all. Eventually, as adults, Nemo and Elise (Sarah Polley) marry and start a family, but Elise is a manic depressive, and their domesticity an uneasy mess of emotion. Nemo loves Elise with undying devotion; she'd probably kill herself if she got the chance. In yet another version of Nemo's epic voyage through time, in which Elise rejects the nerdy and nebulous teenager, in desperation he grasps at the next girl he meets: Jean (Audrey Giacomini). They fall in like, and eventually marry. Adult Nemo and Jean (Lihn Dam Phan) have it all: two adorable children, a big house with a pool, and lots of money. But, in a cruel twist, Nemo’s so unhappy he tries to drown himself in their pool. Which version of the story actually happened? Could they all have occurred, at points simultaneously, in parallel timelines? Each determined merely by one tiny difference; one choice; one chance? Like an echo across the infinite—a sort of Butterfly Effect that's created multiple divergent universes, splintering from some point in time? As the story unfolds, so do several other chapters (and whole other books) of this same story, all bound by actions, reactions, even inaction. Writer/director Jaco Van Dormael's "Mr. Nobody" is many things; a relatable and very real coming of age film, a surreal sci-fi epic, a romance, a drama, at times it's even a dry comedy and has elements of action. But mostly it's a story about chances, choices, and the illusion of a little something in between called fate. It's also a film about humanity—our flaws, and how as flawed creatures we're karmically connected, doomed to repeat certain things over and over. Van Dormael's screenplay is a study in structure, or rather a study in the deconstruction of it. The film thrives, lives just on the edge of narrative confusion, jumping across timelines, mirroring characters and their actions in ironic parallels and cruel juxtaposition. In some ways "Mr. Nobody" reminded me of "Cloud Atlas" (2012), Andy and Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer's adaptation of David Mitchell's novel of the same. Both film's have a similar, purposefully conflated structure; the pictures are epically ambitious, have actors playing multiple roles, and deal with the same themes of interconnectedness, fatalistic karma, and repetition of events over time. But "Mr. Nobody" succeeds where "Cloud Atlas" didn't. (Don't misunderstand, I appreciated the scope of "Atlas", and was pleased with about 75% of the execution. It’s just messy 25% came dangerously close to tearing the film apart.) But there's cohesion amidst the confusion here, and "Mr. Nobody's" tone is much more consistent. In part, the cohesion comes from the fact that this is a singular vision—as apposed to the work of three different writer/directors. And from that single vision sprung a sharper focus. Although the scope is broad, "Mr. Nobody" keeps things intimate by focusing on the same characters approaching the same actions from different directions; informed by slightly altered context. And that is what makes the film so much more impressive. Leto is incredible, and gives not just one terrific turn but several. If his work in "The Dallas Buyers Club" (2013) weren't the talk of the town right now, and been so good, I'd say "Mr. Nobody" contains his finest performance. Perhaps, within one of the many characters he plays, it still does. Leto manages to make each version of Nemo unique, wholly different from the next. His loyal husband to manic Elise is entirely different than the longhaired artist who longs for his Anna, not just in the plot he plods through in each timeline but his mannerisms, speech patterns, and overall screen presence. And he isn't the only one. Toby Regbo holds his own as young Nemo, doing similarly marvellous things to make the teenager take shape in different contexts—shy and sheltered in one scenario, confident and cool in another. Juno Temple is also really good, playing, as she usually does, an alluring pixie type. Sarah Polley is perfectly believable as the wildly unpredictable adult Elise; her mood swings never seems over the top, just eerily real. The film is surprisingly cinema-literate, and Van Dormael openly acknowledges his influences trough blatant homage. A visually stunning sequence of the vessel bound for the Red Planet recalls Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), playing out like an outpace ballet. The darkly humorous touches appear cluded from the works of Terry Gilliam (predictably, “Brazil” (1985)); it is no coincidence that a surrealist sequence in which a boot crushes a house looks like something out of a Python sketch. And Leto laying out his story to a reporter, looking like Jack Crabb from Arthur Penn's "Little Big Man" (1970) is another obvious ode to a cinema great. But the references are mere icing on the proverbial cake; van Dormael has loads of originality to offer up, and an incredible visual sense. He directs the hell out of "Mr. Nobody", establishing separate visual aesthetics for each timeline, and perfectly blending them with inventive match cuts and other editing tricks. Top technical work from cinematographer Christophe Beaucarne as well. The old age makeup and CG and practical effects work is also very impressive. "Mr. Nobody" was a film long in the making. Honestly, it's just long—not that I minded the length; like a good book, I actually never wanted it to end. The screenplay was first published in 2006, in book form. The film was shot in 2007, and a rough cut premiered out of competition at Cannes. In 2009, it was officially entered into the Toronto International Film Festival with a runtime of 138 minutes. Later, a 141-minute version was released to theatres in a majority of the world by 2010. A French-Belgian-German-Canadian co-production, shot in Europe, the film wasn't picked up for distribution in the United States until Magnolia Pictures acquired it in 2013. "Mr. Nobody" had a limited engagement in the US this past November, and is now available on Blu-ray after a long wait. The new Blu-ray release of "Mr. Nobody", from Magnolia Home Entertainment, includes 2 versions of the film: an "Unrated Extended Director's Cut" (running 2 hours 35 minutes 54 seconds) and an shorter "R" rated version, which played in theatres briefly in November 2013, clocking in at 2 hours 17 minutes 17 seconds). Differences are discussed below.
Video
My technical comments of the video portion of this review exclusively pertain to the "Director's Cut", which is the definitive version of the film. "Mr. Nobody" is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen 1080p 24/fps high definition using the AVC MPEG-4 compression codec. This is a gorgeous film, with impeccable composition, and creative, evocative camerawork. And, with the exception of a handful of scenes, Magnolia's Blu-ray release is a beautiful sight too. It's so close to perfection… so close. And yet just far enough away that I can't give it a flawless A+. First, about those problems. Although suitably inky in most scenes, the black level falters in a handful of shots, sometimes the entire length of an uninterrupted single-cut sequence, turning flat and pale gray. Compression artifacts are largely not a problem, however, once again, a scant few scenes suffer from noticeable banding (which is mostly evident in the sequences in which Nemo hosts a "Cosmos"-esque series, where he talks about the origins of the universe against projected and superimposed images of our solar system and marvelous nervous system). And, lastly, one or two short sequences that heavily rely on extensive CGI have faint signs of aliasing (an elaborate unbroken zoom out of a Kubrickian space craft drifting though space is the main culprit). But, for the most part, this is a stunning disc. Colors are especially impressive in the main character's 50's-Technicolor tinted youth, where radiant red roses and puffy pink lips, lush green lawns, vibrant yellows, brilliant blue skies (and eyes), and crisp whites burst from the frame. Detail, by and large, is equally awe-inspiring; sets and costumes are adorned in all sorts of intricate patterns and textures; and although Jaco Van Dormael and DP Christophe Beaucarne frequently favor shallow depth of field, what's in focus is always tack-sharp and brimming with texture (the film's frequent extreme close ups of faces are especially revealing). The style, texture, palate, and degree of detail shift as often as the narrative does. Each timeline and timeframe seems to have it's own look. But through it all, there's a welcomed and well-preserved layer of fine film grain. The encode is never noisy; noise reduction and edge enhancement never an issue. And any fluctuations in contrast, color, or clarity is clearly intentional. Even if you don't warm to the film as well as I have, there's no denying, it's a visual feast, and the Blu-ray's video transfer equally so.
Audio
My technical comments of the audio portion of this review exclusively pertain to the "Director's Cut", which is the definitive version of the film. While the video may have a few minor inconsistencies that gave me just enough pause to rethink adding that "+" to the A, I had no such issue with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack. It is, in a word, exquisite. Clarity is exceptional, separation superb. Dynamic range is extremely wide; deep, deep lows from the bass, and crisp lean highs. Dialog is clear and always intelligible. The score, a mix of simple piano and guitar, not only fits the material, but is precisely balanced as to never overwhelm and only enhance with rich tones. The score was the last work of the director's brother, Pierre Van Dormael, who died before the film was released. "Nobody" also makes fantastic use of a wide array of catalog music. There's pop (an ecliptic mash of eras: Buddy Holly's "Everyday", "Mr. Sandman", "Daydream" by Wallace Collection, "99 Luff Balloons", and so on; plus there's a great sequence set to the Pixies "Where Is My Mind"), classical compositions (Bach to Górecki), the occasional piece from an operetta, and even borrows Hans Zimmer hymn "God Yu Tekem Laef Blong Mi" from Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line" (1998). The film has more sonic set pieces than I care to count. Each one is pure aural bliss. A bombastic scene in which a tanker truck explodes on a bridge, engulfing Nemo in a fireball; a moment when Nemo rewinds time after he "wakes up" in a coma following a bike accident; an orbiting space station burst into a fireball amidst a storm of debris; even a simple scene, in which a character drives through a carwash erupts into a cacophony of chaos and clever, subtle immersion. It's moments like those that make this track something special. Magnolia has also included optional English and Spanish subtitles.
Extras
Someone at Magnolia must think "Mr. Nobody" is somebody special because the Blu-ray has a pretty solid collection of supplements: two cuts of the film, a lengthy making of documentary, deleted scenes, plus a few less essential extras like the requisite AXS TV EPK featurette, the theatrical trailer and some bonus trailers. The disc is authored with optional bookmarks, the resume playback function, and BD-Live connectivity. Per Magnolia's usual practice, the BD-Live link is inactive at the time of this review. In addition to the "Unrated Extended Director's Cut", which is presented on this disc as the definitive and default main feature (tech specs outlined in the A/V sections above), an earlier, "R" rated cut of "Mr. Nobody" is also included. Labeled as the "Theatrical Movie" (2.35:1, 720p; 2 hours 19 minutes 17 seconds), this version can be found in the Special Features menu. Rather than mess about with seamless branching, Magnolia has decided to author the shorter version as it's own presentation—a second encode, in 720p/24fps high definition, with English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps) surround and optional English and Spanish subtitles. Differences between the two versions can be found here. Beware spoilers within "The Making of 'Mr. Nobody'" (2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, 480i; 45 minutes 8 seconds) a surprisingly in-depth and quite well made documentary, which covers several aspects of the production through B-roll and smartly edited interviews from the principal cast and crew. In English and French, with English subtitles. The on-screen title of this piece reads "Mr. Nobody: Le Making Of". As if the two and a half hour extended cut weren't long enough already, four deleted scenes (non-anamorphic 2.35:1; 6 minutes 51 seconds, play all) have also been included. Unlike many of the worthwhile additions to the "Director's Cut", most of this still-excised material is insubstantial, and was wisely cut. Scenes are titled: - "Brawl & Elise's Suicide" - "Anna & Nemo on the Bus" - "Clara" - "Father's Painting" "AXS TV: A Look at "Mr. Nobody" (2.35:1 & 1.78:1 variable, 1080p; 3 minutes 25 seconds) is a skippable EPK featurette, extended trailer hybrid. The film's original theatrical trailer (2.35:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 6 seconds) has been included. "Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment" bonus trailers are for: - "Last Day on Mars" (2.35:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 29 seconds). - "How I Live Now" (1.85:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 13 seconds). - "Best Man Down" (2.35:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 22 seconds). - "Bad Milo" (1.85:1, 1080p, 2 minutes 5 seconds). - "AXS.tv" promo (1080p; 32 seconds).
Packaging
Magnolia Home Entertainment has packaged "Mr. Nobody" in a standard Elite keep case. The dual layered BD-50 is locked to Region A.
Overall
"Mr. Nobody" isn't for everybody. Indeed, its length alone will be an impenetrable obstacle for some. But I loved, loved, loved this movie. The performances are fantastic, the structure and storylines intriguing, the characters complex and given novelistic depth. In fact, this film is more than a little like a good book: intricately layered, intimate and introspective, and with an impressive scope. And, like a good book, I was disappointed that it had to end; I wanted it to go on forever and ever. This is a smart film—a strange one, with a definite surreal steak, but intelligent. There's some really interesting science-fiction elements that those so inclined will surely appreciate, high concept philosophy for others, a real emotional core through the various character relationships, and a lot of technical wizardry that should impress the more cinematically-minded in the audience. The Blu-ray is gorgeous, sounds superb, and has some solid supplements. "Mr. Nobody" found at least one somebody who liked him very much. Very highly recommended.
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