Mute (2018)

Review

126min

Genre:       Mystery, Romance, Sci-fi, Thriller

Director:    Duncan Jones

Cast:         Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux…and more

Writers:     Duncan Jones and Michael Robert Johnson

-Synopsis-

Set in the near future neon-lit streets and back alleys of Berlin, a mysterious and mute but capable bartender becomes embroiled in the grimy underworld of the city, crossing paths with its shady denizens as he tries to solve the mystery of his girlfriend’s disappearance—in this sci-fi mystery neo-noir from the director of ‘Moon’.

Having taken a CGI blockbuster fantasy detour with 2016’s video game adaptation ‘Warcraft: The Beginning’, writer/director and sci-fi devotee Duncan Jones returns to his genre and teams up with streaming giants Netflix to bring us his dystopian vision of the future in neon-lit mystery style—giving us a rather bizarre ode to unconventional parenting and an unlikely tribute to his legendary late father, the ‘Thin White Duke’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust’ himself.

Alexander Skarsgård stars as mute Amish bartender ‘Leo’, living with secretive girlfriend and fellow bar-worker ‘Naadirah’ (Seyneb Saleh), enduring the busy streets and seedy nights of multicultural Berlin in 2057. But when the love of his life inexplicably vanishes, Leo is pulled into the city’s underworld as he desperately tries to unravel a mystery in silence, crossing paths with dodgy US Army medics ‘Cactus Bill’ (Paul Rudd) and ‘Duck’ (Justin Theroux)—a couple of shifty underground doctors with their own dark secrets, which somehow fit into this grimy urban conundrum.

Much has been made about the film’s resemblance to ‘Blade Runner’, which would be the case with any multi-cultural cyberpunk vision of the future made since, particularly one with a neo-noir mystery centre, and Jones is open about his stylistic influences. ‘Mute’ is a beautifully designed and conceived piece of work which certainly looks every inch the part, featuring a predominantly nighttime aesthetic that’s elegantly bathed in neon, which compliments a cityscape that combines urban grit and futuristic technology and resembles modern day Tokyo—all expertly captured by ‘Moon’ cinematographer Gary Shaw.

But unlike Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic, ‘Mute’ has nothing profound or particularly insightful to say about the human condition or the fate of our species. Ultimately this is hardly genuine sci-fi at all, instead just using the genre’s style and a modicum of its tropes to tell a rather pedestrian love story and unconventional tale of parenthood, wrapped in a majorly underwhelming mystery.

Jones and co-writer Michael Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes, Pompeii) conjure a meandering story to compliment  the cultural mosaic of eccentric characters they’ve created, but it’s hampered right from the start by an unconvincing and underdeveloped central romance which needs to drive their protagonist and the plot. What follows is more a collection of intriguing character interactions and thinly-drawn human themes than a cohesive or compelling mystery, culminating in a conclusion which offers scant payoff for the time invested by the audience. And we won’t begin to deconstruct the sinister thematic element introduced by Justin Theroux’s character, which has no convincing purpose other than unsettling the audience.

Indeed the eclectic cast does what it can to inject some gravitas and energy into the piece, but no one really covers themselves in glory, although Alexander Skarsgård’s lead performance is nowhere near as wooden as some have described, managing to power through the narrative with stoic intensity. Meanwhile the gloriously moustachioed Paul Rudd is just about convincing enough in a rare dramatic role, bringing a modicum of comedic rebellion to a bitter and quick-tempered character, with shady personal motivations and a broken moral compass.

‘Mute’ is not completely without merit stylistically or as a spectacle, vividly and stylishly rendered as we’ve already established, and featuring a colourful enough cast of characters to keep you engaged . . . to a point—and its flimsy neo-noir credentials are boosted by the atmosphere created by yet another stellar synth score from Clint Mansell. Through the Amish roots of its protagonist, it also has something interesting to say about our reliance on technology, perhaps a commentary on the plight of the technologically incapable or unwilling in an increasingly interconnected, yet emotionally distant world.

Ultimately though there are nowhere near enough positives to save ‘Mute’ from being an unfortunate disappointment over a decade in the making, made all the worse by its personal significance to the director as a tribute to his late father David Bowie and their time in 1970s Berlin. Although the appearance of a familiar and welcome face (or faces) tentatively connects this film to his first, time will now tell if Duncan Jones’ vision of a loosely connected trilogy ala ‘Cloverfield’ will now become a reality . . . and a Netflix one at that.

Given our love for his 2009 debut ‘Moon’, and our understanding of the near impossibility of making a truly memorable video-game film adaptation, it pains us to pull apart Jones’ latest picture, particularly considering what is means to the director. But there’s no escaping the fact that ‘Mute’ is a botched experiment which barely works and fails to impress on most levels—an exercise in style over substance which doesn’t meet hopeful expectations . . . which were perhaps set too high.

The Bottom Line…

Although undeniably stylish and atmospheric, Duncan Jones’ very personal long-time vision fails to jump off the screen and leave a lasting impression, amounting to an underwritten romance and underwhelming mystery dressed in sci-fi clothing. A Netflix experiment with plenty of artistic license which basks in the neon glow of the films which inspired it, but fails to engross or provide anything of real substance to really sink your teeth into.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Blade Runner (1982)

Charged with terminating synthetic humans illegally residing in multi-cultural 2019 Los Angeles, ‘Blade Runner’ agent Deckard must track down a group of dangerous escaped replicants before they reach their powerful and influential maker, only to form an unlikely connection which plunges him into an existential crisis in Ridley Scott’s hugely influential Philip K. Dick adaptation.

Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young among others.

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