MR. NOBODY Review

Release Date:  November 1, 2013 (Limited)
Director:  Jaco Van Dormael
MPAA Rating:  R
Film Pulse Score:  7.5/10

Mr. Nobody has existed under most movie-goers radar because its 2009 release only happened in European countries – many countries from which the production and distribution companies existed.  It only appeared once in the United States, and that was at a special 2011 showing in Santa Monica, California.  Now, Magnolia Pictures has picked it up and is releasing it four years after its premiere and I fear no one is going to see it.  Magnolia has the terrible task of marketing what one fellow critic out there in the world described as an “existential, sci-fi love story.”  Well, I’m here to root for this film and encourage our readers to go and see it.  It will surprise and hopefully delight you as well.

Jaco Van Dormael – who wrote and directed the film – wanted to film it as far back as 2001.  The Belgian director worked tirelessly to put together a conglomerate of production companies and raise over $45 million to bring his vision to the screen.  I must say, the film looks more like he had twice the budget.  It is one of the most beautiful films I had seen in some time when I bought the DVD a few years ago.  I do not remember what review I read that led me to purchase it, but I was fascinated by the story and I have always enjoyed Jared Leto’s work in film, limited though it may be given his music career (his performance in Requiem for a Dream still haunts me). 

It tells the story of Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto).  We see him at 118 years old; we are informed that he is the oldest living mortal.  Everyone else has their own stem-cell pigs to keep them virtually immortal as they can regenerate their own cells and are essentially free of disease in the year 2092.  A reporter visits Mr. Nobody – whose true last name we never know – and asks him about his life.  Thus begins the film’s journey into Mr. Nobody’s existence and what a journey it turns out to be.

We see Nemo at different ages – 9, 15, and 34.  At 9, he suffers the separation of his parents (Rhys Ifans and Natasha Little; Nemo is played by Thomas Byrne at this age).  He is forced to make a decision about who he will go with.  His mother boards a train and his father stands on the platform.  The film shows us Nemo running after his mother and catching up with her, falling into her arms.  It also shows us his shoe coming off and his father catching up with him, and Nemo is then with his father.  Throughout the film, at ages 9 and 15, we see his existence with both parents and so we know we must be seeing at least two alternate realities.

The mind-bending storytelling does not stop with Nemo’s living with two parents.  He meets three girls along the way, all of whom he will marry.  We see him at 15 spending a lot of time with Anna who is also 15 and we know that she is his “true” love; however, we are introduced to the other girls at 15 as well.  At 34, he has families with Anna (Diana Kruger), Elise (Sarah Polley), and Jean (Linh Dan Pahm).  With a 2:25 running time, the film takes the time to explore his relationship with each woman, though it focuses on his relationship with Anna whom he waits for the longest to be with.  That we are shown all three families existing in different locations but at the same time period again suggests that we are looking at three dimensions and the film suggests a fourth, but I will not give that away here.

There is so much more to the film than simply showing different realities; that has been done before.  The rich storytelling centered on a terrific performance by everyone, especially Leto in the lead, and stunning visual effects and cinematography make this film worth seeing.  It is mind-boggling at times, and it keeps you guessing as to what is real and what is not.  Interestingly, in one reality, Nemo is a kind of “science guy” for something akin to a PBS show.  He explains chaos theory, pigeon superstition, the space-time continuum, and the butterfly effect.  Each of these segments presents clues as to what is happening in Nemo’s world(s) and what we, the viewers, are experiencing.

Ultimately, the film reveals how and/or why Nemo’s story to the reporter has multiple wives, families, and even multiple deaths or other tragedies in that happen to Nemo himself and even one of his wives.  I will not give the ending away and I know some will find it a cop-out resolution.  However, I think if one accepts the various scientific theories purported in the film and accepts that (a) are choices determine our future and (b) sometimes we are faced with impossible choices that lead us down paths we never knew we’d follow, one will find the ending to be perfectly acceptable.

It’s a highly unique film, which is why – I would think – it did not get an American distributer back in 2009.  I’m glad it is finally showing in the States now and I encourage you to take the time to see it.  It is emotionally moving, visually arresting, terrifically acted, and more.  Mr. Nobody is an experience and one I know I’m glad to have had myself.  It will certainly not be to everyone’s taste, but I still want you to give it a try.  I think you might be pleasantly surprised at how deep and affecting of a film it truly is.