Mister Lonely (2007)

In Paris, a young American who works as a Michael Jackson lookalike meets Marilyn Monroe, who invites him to her commune in Scotland, where she lives with Charlie Chaplin and her daughter, Shirley Temple.

Director:

Harmony Korine

Writers:

Harmony Korine, Avi Korine

Stars:

Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Denis Lavant

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diego Luna	...	Michael Jackson
Samantha Morton	...	Marilyn Monroe
Denis Lavant	...	Charlie Chaplin
James Fox	...	The Pope
Werner Herzog	...	Father Umbrillo
Leos Carax	...	Renard
Richard Strange	...	Abraham Lincoln
Jason Pennycooke	...	Sammy Davis, Jr.
Anita Pallenberg	...	The Queen
Rachel Korine	...	Little Red Riding Hood
Joseph Morgan	...	James Dean
Melita Morgan	...	Madonna
Daniel Rovai	...	Moe Stooge
Nigel Cooper	...	Curly Stooge
Mal Whiteley	...	Larry Stooge

Storyline

In Paris, a young American who works as a Michael Jackson lookalike meets Marilyn Monroe, who invites him to her commune in Scotland, where she lives with Charlie Chaplin and her daughter, Shirley Temple.

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Plot Keywords:

commune | reference to abraham lincoln | bathtub | skydiving | show | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [uk] Shellac [fr]

Country:

UK France Ireland USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

14 March 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Imitátorok

Filming Locations:

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Box Office

Budget:

$9,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$16,769 (USA) (2 May 2008)

Gross:

$165,831 (USA) (1 August 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Love Streams Productions, O' Salvation, Recorded Picture Company (RPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with a newspaper in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., Harmony Korine stated that he made several trips to Iceland to scout locations for the film. He ended up ditching that idea altogether and shooting the film in Scotland and France.

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Goofs

The shape of the nuns' parachutes are visible as they are falling from the plane.

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Quotes

Michael Jackson: I don't know if you know what it is like to want to be someone else, to not want to look like you look, to hate your own face and to go completely unnoticed. I have always wanted to be someone else. I have never felt comfortable the way I am. All I want is to be better than myself, to become less ordinary and to find some purpose in this world. It is easier to see things in others, to see things you admire and then try and become that. To own a different face, to dance a different dance, and ...

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Connections

Featured in Into the Night with...: Harmony Korine und Gaspar Noé (2010)

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Soundtracks

"La Vie en Rose"
Performed by Denis Lavant
Written by Louiguy and Édith Piaf (as Edith Piaf)
Published by Noel Gay Music Publishing Co Ltd

User Reviews

Bright Moments in a Patchy Film

MISTER LONELY is that sort of film that pleads to be loved. It has an original concept for a plot, it takes many visual and surreal chances, and it is populated with a lovable cast who seem to be having fun with the process. Harmony Korine both wrote (with Avi Korine) and directed this pastiche about people who, frustrated with reality, live their lives as impersonators of famous people. When it works it is delightful: when it gets bogged down with a self-conscious script it falls flat.

'Mister Lonely' (beautifully depicted in the opening sequences under the credits as a child who cannot be what he is told to be) is a young man who takes on the persona of Michael Jackson (Diego Luna), performing dance movements on the streets of Paris as a busker. He encounters a like person who lives impersonating Marilyn Monroe (Samantha Morton) and before long the two are off to a Highlands commune in Scotland, populated with full time impersonators such as a foul-mouthed Abraham Lincoln (Richard Strange), Charlie Chaplin (Denis Lavant), The Pope (James Fox), Father Umbrillo (Werner Herzog), Sammy Davis, Jr. (Jason Pennycooke), the current Queen Elizabeth (Anita Palenberg), Little Red Riding Hood (Rachel Korine), James Dean (Joseph Morgan), Madonna (Melita Morgan), and flying nuns among others. The story is less a plot than a celebration touched with a bit a angst of how the unnoticed people in the world find a source of belonging by embracing imagination.

The film is choppy and loses some of its potential allure from the editing. The cinematography by Marcel Zyskind captures some truly beautiful moments and the musical score by Jason Spaceman with the Sun City Girls adds a lyrical air to this surreal romp. For lovers of Harmony Korine this movie will please. For viewers with limited attention spans (running time is 112 minutes) the film begs indulgence. Grady Harp