It’s a simple question that many people ask themselves from time to time, dwelling in the possibilities: “What if?”
“Mr. Nobody,” the science-fiction inspired drama that originally premiered in 2009 at the Venice Film Festival, uses this question as a base to explore the realm of possibilities through the life of one seemingly important man, ironically given the dismissive name of “Mr. Nobody.”
Produced in Belgium, the film was released throughout Europe over the past few years and will now be released in limited theaters in the United States over four years after its original premiere.
The story follows 118-year-old Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto), the last mortal on the futuristic 2092 version of planet Earth. Simply put, the idea of mortality is fascinating to the humans of the future, who have become immortal thanks to the arrival of rapid cell regeneration technology. Because he is literally the last human who will perish, Nemo’s story is of great interest to psychiatrists, journalists and the public alike.
The problem is, however, that Nemo has great difficulty remembering anything about his life to tell them, even stating bluntly that he is simply, “a man who doesn’t exist.”
To combat the amnesia, Nemo starts to work with a tattoo-faced psychiatrist, Dr. Feldheim (Allan Corduner), and begins to tell his life story. However, Feldheim and a young journalist (Daniel Mays), who have snuck into the hospital where Nemo is being kept, both have difficulty following Nemo’s story due to his contradictory and confusing pieces of narrative.
The story follows various possible paths from two main turning points in Nemo’s life: the divorce of his parents, in which he is forced to choose between them, and the possibilities of childhood romance between three elementary school-aged girls. The narrative he tells changes course as he begins to recount three parallel lives in flashbacks stemming from these choices, leaving the viewer to question which version is the truth.
However, a few plot holes keep the film from reaching its full potential. It’s never explained why Nemo is being kept out of the public eye, nor why the journalist had to break in to be able to speak with him. Nor is it explained how Nemo has lived so long and has been excluded from the gift of immortality that was granted to those surrounding him.
There are definitely a few main strengths in the film, namely Leto’s performance, which is especially on-point during the scenes that take place in 2092. The fable-like tale of children knowing about their lives before they are born, then being silenced by angels as they enter the world is intriguing. And the film’s version of the future, though it includes cliches that suggest a technological takeover, is still inventive and at times quite clever.
Visually, the film is breathtaking. Stunning cinematography creates a memory-driven atmosphere as scenes flicker in and out of focus, a lot like the unclear image of a distant recollection.
But these strengths are not enough to fully tie the entire film together, nor to ignore that the nonlinear plotline can be somewhat confusing and distracting. The audience is thrown bits of information that they are merely expected to accept sans explanation, but this prevents viewers being able to fully immerse themselves in the futuristic, science fiction-based world. Though it has an interesting premise with a somewhat clever conclusion, sadly, the film’s true potential to compel is never met.