Motherless Brooklyn review – Edward Norton’s film noir is an unwieldy treat

Long shadows are everywhere in Motherless Brooklyn. Street lamps and street signs throw light out into a world that’s blocked by all kinds of shady figures wearing black hats, and these aren’t the only shadows Edward Norton’s long-gestating noir adaptation concerns itself with. Classic entries in the genre, particularly Chinatown, loom large as obvious influences, as do real property barons – like Robert Moses and the Trump family – who serve as inspiration for the story’s villain. In development for more than 20 years, Motherless Brooklyn is undeniably weighty but it’s also a compelling mystery – one that feels both of our time and yet strangely removed from it.

It’s a film that has been ostensibly adapted from Jonathan Lethem’s novel of the same name, but Norton – who writes, directs, and stars – really only takes the book’s name and its protagonist – Tourette’s-afflicted detective Lionel Essrog – and uses them as a springboard for telling his own tale. He replaces the present-day setting and general zaniness of the source material with a more grounded mystery set in ‘50s New York, and sets out to expose how racism and classism were built into the very foundations of the city. As with all great noirs, there’s a vast conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, and Lionel can only poke around the edges and try to help in what little ways he can.

The film takes a little while to find its feet, but once Motherless Brooklyn hits a groove it pulls you in and keeps you there, as Lionel sets out to uncover the truth behind secretive power broker Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin) whilst trying to keep community activist Laura (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) safe in the process. Key to this story is Lionel’s likability, and Norton imbues him with a surfeit of charm. His Tourette’s reveals itself not through swearing, but in twisting words he’s just heard into every conceivable form, and it’s remarkable just how quickly you get used to it.

Norton never treats this affliction as a cheap gimmick, though, nor does he go down the “tortured” rabbit hole that a lesser actor might when confronted with a neurodivergent character. It’s a fantastic three-dimensional turn that also allows Lionel to be legitimately funny and also threatening when he needs to be. And it’s the combination of Norton guiding us both in front and behind the camera that ensures none of this simply falls apart. His script makes room for every character – just enough to make you care about each of them – and though the pacing leaves a little to be desired, Norton’s stylistic sensibilities suit the material down to the ground.

The best shots here are beautifully lit and have a painterly composition, both wonderful to look at and evocative of Lionel’s alienation. As Dick Pope’s sweeping cinematography captures New York’s streets and train stations, Motherless Brooklyn shows us just how small, lonely, and unnoticed one can be made to feel in the big city – especially when it’s run by hostile, greedy forces. Given the film’s tendency to take its affinity for the genre for granted, Motherless Brooklyn will likely prove more frustrating than enthralling for some. Film noir fans, however, will find this is one labour of love that’s worth seeking out.

★★★★☆

By: Jack Blackwell

Get Motherless Brooklyn showtimes in London.