I have always loved Johnny Depp in movies but seeing him in Mortdecai (2015) gave me a weird vibe. In fact, I see this movie as a strange one, the kind of film where everyone seems dressed for a sophisticated comedy, the location is an international adventure and the plot involves stolen art and hidden treasure yet much of the humour revolves around a moustache that makes the owner's wife gag.
Written by Eric Aronson and directed by David Koepp, Mortdecai is an American action comedy starring Johnny Depp as Charlie Mortdecai, an eccentric British aristocrat and shady art dealer alongside his wife, Johanna played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Bettany who plays Jock Strapp, his loyal manservant, bodyguard and partner in his adventures. Ewan McGregor also appears as Martland, an M15 officer with history and unresolved feelings for Johanna.
The story follows Charlie who is recruited to help find a stolen Goya painting. This is not an ordinary missing artwork and it is rumoured to contain information leading to a fortune in Nazi gold. This immediately puts Charlie in competition with criminals, wealthy collectors and other dangerous people who want the painting for themselves.
Charlie moves from London to other parts of the world trying to stay alive, protect his lifestyle and avoid losing what little dignity he has left. He speaks in an affected aristocratic accent, wears elaborate suits and treats his moustaches like it's a part of the cast. His manservant, Jock, is constantly dragged into situations where loyalty to his employer always results in physical pain for him. Will Mortdecai succeed on his mission to retrieve the painting?
My Review And Rating
The plot of this movie held my attention for most of the running time more than the comedy. It's marketed as an action comedy and there are some good action scenes but I really wanted more comedy simply because of Johnny Depp. Still, there were moments that I enjoyed the sheer silliness of this film.
Among the ensemble cast, Paul Bettany was probably my favourite part of the film and he played the character of Jock perfectly. His loyalty is beyond reason and the movie rewards that loyalty by having him injured, humiliated or placed in danger. Also, his relationship with Charlie works because he plays Jock's suffering with enough commitment that the ridiculous situations become more amusing.
I also enjoyed watching Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor lean into the movie's upperclass comedy. Johanna’s disgust with Charlie's moustache becomes one of the running jokes and her scenes with Martland have more energy than some of the action scenes. McGregor seems comfortable playing the frustrated rival who is trying to do his job while also dealing with Charlie's presence in his life.
Another commendable part of the movie is the cast, the costumes and the travelling around all suggest a stylish comedy adventure. There is something appealing about the idea of a broke aristocrat chasing a stolen painting while criminals are after him. Yet the film struggles to turn these elements into a much more funny and exciting experience. The plot becomes complicated without becoming more interesting.
One main flaw is how heavily the movie relies on Johnny Depp’s performance style. Charlie Mortdecai is built around the accent, the mannerisms and the moustache. I admit the character’s ridiculous vanity has some comic potential but after a while, it becomes a drag. The scenes where Johanna reacts physically to the moustache are amusing at first but the repetition made me wish the movie would move on from the facial hair issue.
All in all, Mortdecai is not completely unbearable. The film looks polished, the cast is talented and the witty lines or situations land well enough to remind you it's an action comedy.
Rating this movie, I’d give it 6.5 out of 10 stars. This movie is a polished, old-fashioned action comedy with an eccentric hero, stolen art and a talented cast.
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Rating: 65/100
