Who is Mr. Nobody? : A Film Review

Never in my life, have I ever been more impacted by a movie than after I watched Mr. Nobody for the first time. Mr. Nobody, a film directed by Jaco Van Dormael and starring Jared Leto, is hands down my most favorite film of all time. From its constant twists and turns, to the beautiful cinematography, Mr. Nobody left me stunned at the end. The feeling I get after finishing this film is rare. This is the one movie I wish I could re-experience watching for the first time, because it is truly magical.

The opening scenes depict a futuristic society, consisting only people who are immortal due to the latest technology. There is one last mortal left alive though, and that mortal is Nemo Nobody. Nemo is 118, and is nearing his death. The society he lives in marvels him, all having their curiosities as to what Nemo's life was like as he is the last of a legacy. The only thing is, Nemo can not remember his life. Well, not that he can't remember his life necessarily, it's just he can not remember which life he actually lived. Throughout the movie, scenes of Nemo's various lives are strung together through quick and brilliant cuts and smooth editing. There is never really a point (until the end), where you know quite what is going on. Jumping between Nemo's childhood, to his lives with various wives (Anna, Jean, and Elise), the film faces many twists and turns. You are taken through Nemo's life journey where you ultimately find yourself asking, who is Mr. Nobody?

The whole premise of the film is choices. Nemo says at one point, "You have to make the right choice. As long as you don't choose, everything remains possible." You follow Nemo as a child, and see he is put in the unthinkable position for someone of his age, where he is forced to choose between living with his mom or his dad. You then delve into the different story lines following whatever decision Nemo makes. You see as he stays with his dad, some lives he meets Elise, and grows up to marry her, but you see her degrade as she faces crippling mental health issues. An alternate of living with his dad, Nemo could meet Jean, and settle on marrying her, pursuing a life of gaining material goods to fill the void in his heart as he never finds his actual true love. On the other hand, when Nemo chooses his mom, he meets Anna. Anna ends up being his kind of step sister, but not really because her dad just dates Nemo's mom but the parent never actually get married. Nemo and Anna form a bond that is unbreakable as they are truly happy together. With each wife, there are different lifestyles he lives, and there is even one plot line where he ends up alone. The whole time your head is spinning, as you have no idea which life he actually lived. This paradox of a movie draws you in, and not only is the theme of choices a big discussion, but topics like chaos theory, the butterfly theory, pigeon superstition, etc are added into the mix to confuse you even more.

I won't spoil the ending, but I think the conclusion of the film is so genuinely beautiful and just ties everything together nicely. There are a few topics that are left up to you to decide, but I can assure you that you figure out which life Nemo lived. I personally understood the ending in it's entirety, but it is a thinker, and I have plenty of pals who didn't really understand it right away. If you watch it and don't feel the closure you want, read into it there are plenty of blog post/analyses that'll help! The film really makes you think about your life and ultimately how every little choice can effect your life in big ways.

One of my favorite aspects of film in general is color, and Mr. Nobody really utilizes the simpleness of color and how much of an impact it can have on an audience. Each wife Nemo could potentially end up marrying, has their own color, Jean being yellow, Elise with blue, and lastly Anna having red. The colors are not just randomly assigned to each wife. The colors all have a deeper meaning, showing the true roots and foundation of each potential life. Yellow for Jean, resembles the greed and desire for wealth that Nemo possesses when with Jean. The blue present in Elise's life shows her struggles with depression and despair, and how it impacts the outcome of Nemo's life. Anna, Nemo's true love, is red, symbolizing passion and affection. There are some other aspects of color utilized throughout the film, but I can't really discuss without spoiling the end! If you watch Mr. Nobody, please take the time to read up on it after, you will have a whole new appreciation for color in film.

I have such passion and love for Mr. Nobody, it is smart and original. Even with influences like the 1998 film Run Lola Run, it remains having such a unique plot that I have yet to see be done anywhere else. Every moment of this film pulls you in, there aren't any scenes that leave you bored or wanting more. Dormael delivers everything an audience could want, giving viewers a pretty movie with a complex interesting story and amazing acting. The score for this movie is incredible too. I truly do not have any complaints about this film, it is so effortlessly perfect.

I could ramble about this movie for ages. It is quite long, running at about two and a half hours, but it is for sure worth it. There is even more to the film than just what I wrote about, and it deserves so much praise and appreciation. I hold this movie dear to my heart and I hope you guys will too. Thanks for reading!