A meta-physical, philosophical love letter to the universe itself, thwarted from being a masterpiece by it's own unbridled ambition

Rating: 7/10 (6 June 2010)

What would happen if ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY had a love child? Not MR. NOBODY, but it could be the nephew of said love child. Because although it sports ambition, some of the time it feels like one influence is killing off the emotional or intellectual resonance of the other.
To further elaborate, I liked large chunks of MR. NOBODY but can't embrace the whole as a success. Even a cirque du soleil juggler drops one every now and then when he's got too many balls up in the air.
On a side-note (before I forget), I found the music to be bloody aggravating. I find that's a common complaint with Belgian or French films. Something a little more haunting along the lines of the violin tugs of the REQUIEM FOR A DREAM score or the subtleties of the BENJAMIN BUTTON score might've done more to reinforce the poignant scenes.
The Belgian director is drawing heavily from films like BENJAMIN BUTTON, DARK CITY, AMELIE POULAIN, ETERNAL SUNSHINE, 2001 and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. To make a film with such diverse influences that still makes the tiniest bit of sense is a feat. If there were an Oscar for best casting, this would deserve it with flying colors. I don't think I've ever seen such striking resemblance between actors portraying the characters from several different ages. Jared Leto is back in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM form, and I like the fellow's daring. Heavily heckled after 2007's risky indie CHAPTER 27, he dives into the deep end again and this time it works out brilliantly. His dreamy, cloudy, confused stare into the camera lens defines the protagonist perfectly. The supporting cast is in ship-shape form as well, Diane Kruger with the brittle ghost of the naive lovesick puppy teenager still in her, Sarah Polley's self-destructive depressive is thoroughly sad and convincing and the actress whose name I can't find on IMDb (the one who played his mother) displays the right degree of life-weariness that comes with being a single mother.
Unlike Nemo Nobody, I claim no ability to see the future but I am adept at educated guesses. Quite easily MR. NOBODY could become a cult classic and hailed more with every passing year by film aficionado's. Quite easily could word-to-mouth be the salvation of a film so poorly marketed. Let's hope so. It'd be a shame to see this fine film disappear from mainstream audience's reaches.