Writer-director Harmony Korine's first feature since 1999 (and quite different from his grating earlier efforts Julien Donkey-Boy and Gummo), Mister Lonely offers the best indication yet that the now-35-year-old filmmaker has talent to burn, even if he can't quite seem to make coherent use of it. Most of the film concerns the adventures of a Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna), whom we first see in Paris. A chance meeting with a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (Samantha Morton) leads “Michael” (the characters go by their assumed names) to join her at a commune in Scotland, where other people portraying historical figures and celebrities live and work in character. Among them is a drunk impersonating the current pope (James Fox), Queen Elizabeth (Anita Pallenberg), Marilyn's husband Charlie Chaplin (Denis Lavant), Abraham Lincoln (Richard Strange), Sammy Davis Jr. (Jason Pennycooke), Shirley Temple (Esme Creed-Miles), and James Dean (Joseph Morgan). All appear to be seeking a certain freedom by living out their dreams, but are also captives of a self-referential world that borders on hysteria. Chaplin is near-feral in his behavior toward his wife, and Lincoln is all but unhinged in his foul-mouthed frustration over a sickness affecting sheep, although Marilyn and Michael's tender relationship offers both a little salvation. Things come to a head when the group decides to put on a big show for paying customers. A minor, secondary storyline—concerning a priest (Werner Herzog) who oversees a band of (literally) flying nuns—doesn't add much. Still, with Mister Lonely, Korine offers the promise of better things to come. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include deleted scenes (37 min.), a 12-minute “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for a flawed but interesting film.] (T. Keogh)
Mister Lonely
IFC, 108 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99, Nov. 18 Volume 23, Issue 6
Mister Lonely
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