'Mortdecai' - A Misunderstood Picture.

My Take on 'Mortdecai' + Short Review

Today, I'm going to talk about the 2015 action-comedy, 'Mortdecai'. Directed by David Koepp and starring Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor and Paul Bettany. 

I'm going to begin by saying that I feel for this film. I feel that 'Mortdecai' is a misunderstood picture, maybe too behind its time. When I watched the film, it reminded me of classic comedies like Peter Sellers' Pink Panther films - and that brings me to my main point as to why 'Mortdecai' failed with audiences of today. Modern moviegoers just don't appreciate the type humour in 'Mortdecai', and that's a real shame.

Some critics have already labeled it as the worst film of 2015 and I think that's really unfair to the makers of the picture. They did a good job in producing not only a good comedy, but also a good movie. The person who received the most abuse was Johnny Depp and I really struggle to see why. I think it was a good effort by him to make this movie.

I did my part to support the film when others didn't, and watched it twice in the cinemas. Sadly, it bombed at the worldwide box office - grossing less than the budget of the film. There is news that Lionsgate are planning to make 'Mortdecai' into a movie series, and I personally welcome that. I would pay to see these films because they fill me with so much nostalgia from classic slapstick comedies, and I would most definitely have a good time watching them. However, I wouldn't urge the studio to go ahead with the proposed film series as audiences won't watch the movies. It's such a shame, really.

The concept of the film was excellent, and I would say that they took a risk in making it in such a manner. The risk didn't pay off to majority of those who watched it, but to those who enjoyed the style of 'Mortdecai', they enjoyed the entire film. My friends whom I brought to watch it with me thoroughly enjoyed it, and my Dad has been wanting to watch it for a long time as he had missed it in its cinematic run. I'll buy the Blu-ray once its released.

On to the short review - 'Mortdecai' excels in two major areas. The first being the dialogue and second being the general feel of the movie. Why the dialogue, you may ask. Well, let me just put it to you this way - normal people don't talk like the way they do in the movie. The way Charlie Mortdecai(Johnny Depp) speaks with his quirky British accent in a posh-snobbish kind of way is absolutely hilarious. I like how he uses terms like "I say, old bean!" on friends like Inspector Martland (Ewan McGregor) - it's just so classy. I also liked the banter between Charlie and the inspector as they both bicker back and forth as the latter lays his eyes on Mortdecai's wife, Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow).

On to the general feel of the movie. There's a very posh feel to the film, and it is very well made. The sets are lovely (especially the art galleries), and everything is just so classy. 

The story is very simple, and that is a good thing for a movie like this. The plot involves a stolen Goya painting, and Inspector Martland goes to art dealer Charlie Mortdecai for assistance. Sounds simple, yes. But that's exactly what a good slapstick comedy needs - a simple story so that all the hilarity can occur without causing viewers to be lost in the plot.

The cast did a terrific job, I feel. Johnny Depp was good, as was Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow and Olivia Munn. But I felt the best performance was by Paul Bettany, in his first comedic role as Mortdecai's manservant, Jock. He was excellent in the role, and his character traits (although a bit extreme), added some depth to Jock - making him a very lovable character.

All in all, I'd simply say that 'Mortdecai' is a misunderstood film. A comedic crime caper like this would have been very welcome back in the 1960's or 1970's, but not in 2015. That, however, applies to moviegoers in general. As for me, 'Mortdecai' was a very welcome old-fashioned movie. The humour I enjoyed and the film as a whole, I liked very much. I will most definitely buy it on Blu-ray to add to my growing collection.

7.5/10.