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Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

R10/31/2019Drama, Thriller2h 25m

Overview

New York City, 1957. Lionel Essrog, a private detective living with Tourette syndrome, tries to solve the murder of his mentor and best friend, armed only with vague clues and the strength of his obsessive mind.

Top Billed Cast

  1. Cast 1

    Edward Norton

    Lionel Essrog

  2. Cast 1

    Bruce Willis

    Frank Minna

  3. Cast 1

    Gugu Mbatha-Raw

    Laura Rose

  4. Cast 1

    Alec Baldwin

    Moses Randolph

  5. Cast 1

    Willem Dafoe

    Paul Randolph

  6. Cast 1

    Bobby Cannavale

    Tony Vermonte

  7. Cast 1

    Cherry Jones

    Gabby Horowitz

  8. Cast 1

    Michael Kenneth Williams

    Trumpet Man

  9. Cast 1

    Leslie Mann

    Julia Minna

It's a difficult task to pace a noir for a modern audience, and you can feel the two and a half hour runtime. The story is interesting and the parallels to America in the present day are welcomed, but there isn't enough tonal balance to contrast all the shadowy moodiness. The plot is on the more convoluted side, and you'd imagine that with it being a story about following a trail of clues, 'Motherless Brooklyn' would reward repeat viewings - but I'm not sure I would optionally sit through all of it again. There is nothing inherently wrong with this film, bar some odd edits and framing choices,...