Mister Lonely

A mask can be a disguise or an instrument of ritual. Wearing one can help us aspire to greater things; that we might become more like the what is represented by mask. After modifying one's image by putting on a new suit and tie or perfecting their make-up, who isn't familiar with feeling like a new person?

Mister Lonely has two main threads. There is Diego Luna – best known for his great performance in Y Tu Mamá También – who is a Michael Jackson impersonator and hangs out with other impersonators. Then there is Werner Herzog – best known for his work behind the camera – who leads a troupe of nuns in Africa. The impersonators stay in character 24 hours a day. They include Samantha Morton as Marilyn Monroe (in an awesome dress by celebrated fashion designer agnès b.) and others, impersonating the likes of Charlie Chaplin, James Dean and Abe Lincoln (we never learn the characters’ real names).

If you haven’t twigged the connection, perhaps you are familiar with some devout Christians who ask themselves, in a difficult situation, “What would Jesus do?” A role model may be more helpful in resolving a moral dilemma than it would, say, if the answer might involve walking on water. And while impersonators might do well in street theatre, how excited would you be to see the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ that starred not Michael, Charlie or HM the Queen but... impersonators? I can’t tell you more about the story without giving away the ending, which again points up the similarity of inspiration and obsession in both narratives but, if you are a lover of quirky cinema, Mister Lonely might well be for you.

Mister Lonely has quirky written all over it. It is directed by Harmony Korine, who won awards for his Dogme95 feature, Julien Donkey-Boy, and for his screenplay for Larry Clark’s Kids. Korine once tried to make a film by engaging random people in actual street fights - until he was hospitalised. Something to do with being prepared to die for his art. He seems interested in mental illness, dysfunctional childhoods, symbolism, and an innovative approach to film. Hopefully that will put off people who don't like films like that. Indeed, Mister Lonely can easily be read as disconnected and insubstantial if you like more solid fare.

Mister Lonely is deeply original, strange and yet accessible. There are points of touching emotion – in an old people’s home, for instance, as Michael and Marilyn evoke unfeigned warmth from what are most probably non-actors. Then there is the threefold face – the actor, the character and the impersonation – and we search for the glimmers of sadness or the ‘real person’ behind the manufactured facade. As they strive never to act in any way other than as their alter-egos, it forms a tender bond with the audience when their feelings become apparent.

I particularly enjoyed Samantha Morton’s performance. I had never been a big fan of her early work, but she seems to have injected new life and vigour into every project she has tackled since her reported stroke in 2006. Although she was always a competent actress, her work in films such as this, or Control, has moved me to the core and left me speechless. It is as if she has somehow scaled the heights of her own aspiration as an actress and achieved something beyond her mortal limits.