Gives us enough to chew on before we choke on it or spit it out

Rating: 6/10 (23 February 2016)

Mr. Nobody concerns the complex principles of quantum mechanics of time, specifically the often-debated and discussed "many-worlds theory," which basically boils down to the possibility of numerous, external universes existing operating upon the choices you've never made yourself. Consider myself choosing to hang out with a friend of mine today after finishing my classes rather than working on schoolwork or my writing. Had I went home directly after finishing my classes, perhaps I would've gotten more of my schoolwork done, which could've resulted in better grades, which would've made my GPA higher, which would've potentially gotten me better job opportunities, which could've even made my income a bit higher.
Of course, you could "what if?" damn-near every circumstance of your life to the point where you can make yourself suicidal over what you could've done and what you wound up doing, but that's not healthy at all. The details of quantum mechanics have been softly examined in film for quite sometime (one film that immediately comes to mind is the opening monologue of Richard Linklater's Slacker delivered by Linklater himself from the back of a taxicab). However, rarely does a film muster up the ambition and conviction to tackle on the often headache-inducing ins and outs of such lofty ideas, which are nothing more than theories in scholarly articles that populate the internet.
Writer/director Jaco Van Dormael apparently had enough confidence to concoct a lengthy screenplay and timeline around the idea and the result is Mr. Nobody, an admirably ambitious film that, like the very basic ideas of quantum mechanics, packs a great deal of ideas into a relatively small box and tries to make us chew on them long enough before we either choke or spit them out. We open in the year 2092, where humans are now immortal thanks to the endless renewal of cells; the last mortal on Earth is the 117-year-old Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto), who is edging ever-so-closely to death as society watches the last soul among them with the capability to die. A psychiatrist named Dr. Feldheim (Allan Corduner) manages to snag one final interview with Nemo before his imminent death, since Nemo also has a rare ability to account the past lives he could've lived had he made a different choice in a crucial situation as a young child.
At the age of nine, Nemo had the choice of which parent he wanted to stay with after their separation. At first, we see him tardily hop aboard a train with his mother, where, in three separate story lines, he becomes smitten with a woman named Anna, in one world insulting her and her friends, at another point conversing with them, and another, marrying and raising children with her. Yet another alternate life shows the multitude of possibilities that could've happened had he stayed home and lived with his father, where Nemo meets an entirely new woman named Elise, who, in one story, is still in love with her boyfriend, but another, is bipolar and manic depressive, making Nemo's life a living hell.
Mr. Nobody is anything but a linear experience; at two and a half hours in length, the film plays like a repetitive stageplay, exhausting every potential narrative possibility as it showcases every which way Nemo's life could've gone. We see situations repeat themselves, lines of dialog slightly altered to create a new scene, and through it all, Nemo Nobody, who has lived more lives to the fullest than we'll be lucky to live one. As narratively ambitious as this story is, shortcomings seem to plague or limit the film's greatness on a consistent basis. To begin with, Nemo isn't that engaging of a person, nor is Leto that expressive or interesting as a character actor to sustain a film as lofty or as long as this one. Nemo doesn't grab us in with his personality because, through many of his scenes, he's a passive presence; almost an accessory or a side-character to his own life. He doesn't seem too fazed by the multitude of things occurring in his life at any given moment, with limited facial and vocal expression, which makes it hard for us, the audience, to truly sympathize with him. With that, as stated, Leto doesn't bring a ton to the table as Nemo either; his presence is lacking the kind of engagement that protagonists usually possess, especially with such a liberal amount of runtime/screen time to work with, which results in a part of the film that sags dramatically.
After some contemplation, that element seems to be Mr. Nobody's biggest issue. Other features - such as a narrative that repeats itself quite frequently, an almost inherently exhausting and maddening amount of existentialism to chew on, and a timeline that results in a viewer doing mental hopscotch to try to cogently understand it - are almost to be expected with a film dealing with quantum mechanics, so complaining about them, despite their presence, seems a bit foolish. In addition, overly emphasizing these attributes can greatly make one forget about the commendable ambition and scope Van Dormael possesses for his screenplay. He respects the screenplay enough to deeply consider the limitless possibilities of the many-worlds theory, to the point where I wished he would've focused on a more engaging presence instead of the flatter, less convincing protagonist we got with our titular character.
Mr. Nobody has a whirlwind going for it in the conversational/post-credits discussion aspect, as most panels and debates about the many-worlds theory possess; it's getting to that point and enduring what we must endure that gets in the way of the ultimate reward, which is discussing and sharing our deepest, most personal thoughts.