No. 14. (2020) MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN March 2nd.

Film No. 14 (2020)  March 2nd.  10:30 AM  PALACE Paradiso Northbridge. 

"What happens to poor people in this neighbourhood wasn't news yesterday and won't be news tomorrow." (Laura tells Lionel how it is in Brooklyn as the black population eek out a life).

Edward Norton has adapted this Jonathan Lethem novel for the screen. Our Edward (I'm a fan), as well as writing the screenplay, stars as central character Lionel, the Tourettes (an unnamed condition in that era) suffering gumshoe, who is up to his hat in murder and intrigue.

Don't misinterpret Motherless as something it is not. Norton has created a B grade noir film in the mold of The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep complete with oily voice-over and classic jazz, highlighted by saxophone. Lionel is a good person who wants only to avenge the death of his boss Frank (Bruce Willis). So in the traditional manner but as an unconventional gumshoe, he's led to a dame, Laura and the plot gets thick and of course there's a twist. Race relations in the 30's forms the backbone of the narrative. 

The noir genre is rarely tackled in these times of stories based of actual events. L.A. Confidential is a classic and Motherless, while it doesn't quite match the slickness of L.A., will please the crowd of devotees. Norton is no Bogart but then again Bogart with Tourettes would have been absurdly ridiculous. Bit parts played by actors of the calibre of Alec Baldwin, Brooklyn power broker Mosses Randolph and Willem Dafoe as the downtrodden Paul excel.  But it's Lionel who's our hero here and Norton has us rooting for him all along the way. 9GUMS.