Mortdecai (2015)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 106 minutes
Directed by: David Koepp
Starring: Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Olivia Munn, Jeff Goldblum, Ulrich Thomsen, Paul Whitehouse, Michael Byrne, Nicholas Farrell
KRS Releasing Ltd

Johnny Depp is Charlie Mortdecai, an art dealer who is a veritable rogue, has a beautiful wife, Johanna (Gwyneth Platrow), is very rich and is constantly faced with problems. He is always followed by Jock Strapp (Paul Bettany), who is his man servant but at times is more than that. Jock’s physical skills are brought into action whenever the people Mortdecai hustles turn up for satisfaction – a common occurrence.

For Mortdecai the world will become even more of a swirl when MI5 call upon him for his help. A Goya painting is stolen while it was being restored.

MI5 agent Alistair Martland (Ewan McGregor) wants Mortdeaci to find the painting for the queen and his country. He is not the only one looking for it, however, as Emil Strago (Jonny Pasvolsky) wants the painting in order to be able to fund a revolution.

Mortdecai accepts for two reasons: first, this will involve a finder’s fee which will erase his debt with the government which runs into millions; and secondly, it will impress his wife who is not happy with the moustache he is now sporting and is rather worried about the way Alistair is treating her.

Mortdecai tries to find the painting in the best way he can, that is by causing havoc and turmoil. Along the way he meets Russian criminal Romanov (Paul Whitehouse), the filthy rich Milton Krampf (Jeff Goldblum) and his daughter Georgina (Olivia Munn), who seems to be a nymphomaniac, and also art smuggler Spinoza (Paul Whitehouse).

Mortdecai is based on the classic 1970s cult novels of British author Kyril Bonifiglioli. The film has been panned by critics but I guess they were expecting a serious Depp who here plays a mix of his usual self combined with an over-the-top Peter Sellers-type of performance.

What is obvious here is that Depp is playing to his own tune. He was never an actor who was comfortable with popularity and box office success. Here he simply plays to his own inner ego, and thus delivers a zany goofball cinematic performance that may not be what is expected of him. However, the film should have had greater success seeing that the screwball comedy style adopted by Depp, combined with the tight slapstick sequences as devised by David Koepp, deliver one sequence after another of British-style hilarity with a tongue-in-cheek attitude.

The film takes us back to the style of the farce movies of the 1960s. To its benefit, the cast is game enough to play to the film’s loony tempo. Bettany, especially, is really funny in the running theme that he is able to bed any woman he meets.

Paltrow is exceptionally beautifully framed, while Munn is sexy and funny. McGregor plays his role to the hilt with a very British sense of quirkiness accompanying his every word.

Overall, the film is a fun and madcap trip. The cast and director throw in their best effort to turn this hotchpotch of silliness into an enjoyable breezy slice of entertainment.

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