The Mortician (2011)

The mortician is a lone-wolf, emotionally cold and distant to the outside world and it's inhabitants. But then a boy shows up at his doorstep after witnessing his mother's murder and his world of solitude is turned upside down.

Director:

Gareth Maxwell Roberts

Writer:

Gareth Maxwell Roberts

Stars:

Method Man, Dash Mihok, E.J. Bonilla

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Method Man	...	The Mortician
Dash Mihok	...	Carver
E.J. Bonilla	...	Noah (as EJ Bonilla)
Judy Marte	...	Jenny
Angelic Zambrana	...	Maria
Wendell Pierce	...	Clinger
Dana Fuchs	...	Ava
Edward Furlong	...	Petrovski
Cruz Santiago	...	Kane
Vernon Brooks	...	Young Mortician
David Jensen	...	Officier Laurel
Randal Reeder	...	Officer Hardy (as Randall Reeder)
Idella Johnson	...	Mortician's Mother
Luis Da Silva Jr.	...	Benny (as Luis DaSilva)
Ann McKenzie	...	Millie

Storyline

A mortician's (Method Man) life is suddenly changed when a dead woman's body comes into his morgue, jolting old memories from his past. As days go by, he starts seeing a young boy hiding around the vicinity of his morgue. When they finally speak, the mortician learns that the boy wants to enter the morgue to see his dead mother one last time. The person who killed his mother is also after him. The mortician goes out of his way to ensure the boy has closure while at the same time keeping him safe from harm, in an attempt to achieve closure to his own personal tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

mortician | 3 dimensional | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence, disturbing images, pervasive language, brief sexuality and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the guys shooting up under the bridge is Kyrt Gates of the New Orleans post punk band "Love Her Killer." The other is Baton Rouge Artist Corey Nichols.

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Soundtracks

Where Have I Known You Before
Written by Chick Corea
Performed by Chick Corea

User Reviews

Pointless melodrama which drains the very life from you

Bathing in urban squalour and decay, this Method Man starring feature may not be what you might expect. Meth (as fans of the Wu Tang Clan affectionately refer to him) plays an awkward, ambling outsider who as the title suggests, works at the city morgue. He shuffles two and from work with his head hanging low. A man of few words, his hours away from the corpses are spent practicing his taxidermy skills and cuddling a friendly prostitute.

Continually harassed by some of the most unconvincing hoodlums that have ever been committed to celluloid (there are literally millions of people out there who could fit the role of 'Thug #4', so why filmmakers feel the consistent need to draw incredibly fake tattoos on supporting actors is beyond me). These rough kids from the wrong side of the street make his life miserable (in a pretty non-threatening way, truth be told) and we can see that he's a man who may soon crack.

This is where the trouble begins, primarily and most significantly, Method Man is wholly unsuitable for this part. Method Man is wholly unsuitable for most parts in which he is required to do anything other than be Method Man. He is not a good actor and in this, his lack of ability is accentuated tenfold. The film was shot in 3D for reasons which are far beyond my comprehension, for it is a melodrama. The last time I checked, melodramas were not top of the list on 3D. Shall I await the extended reboot of Ulee's Gold 3D? On Golden Pond 3D? The Erotic Adventures of Harold & Maude 3D? Anyway, I digress. Meth is a wonderful personality; an entertainer and (occasionally) a great rapper. None of these skills, however, are required or suitable for the role of a bookish, bullied, meek individual. Every time the camera zooms in on him, the viewer gets the impression that he's thinking; 'this is my acting face'.

It's not just the acting that's at fault here, the sets are well utilized and do give a strong sense of deterioration within a working class environment, which is a theme which could have been explored in greater depth within the film. Meth's old time dress sense is a nice touch, but his outfits look so pristine that they are clearly taken from the set dresser's rail. He looks like a man who has been dressed for a role and this only makes him more awkward in his appearance, and not in the manner of which he desires. The shrugs and stooped gait are not enough for the character to become real to us. He also keeps walking around a lot and looking at things. This happens in most films, but the problem with this is that for the first 30 minutes, this is about all you get.

You get drawn into his facial expressions so much because there's so little else to focus on.

Then something happens (which I won't go into for now) and the appearance of Edward Furlong (looking so tired and haggard that my viewing companion thought it was Rob Schneider) and Wendell Peirce (The Wire, Treme) brings a short lived bout of excitement (but they are both gone again as soon as they appear, not to be heard from again at all really). Peirce's use of the word 'laddybuck' remains the film's highlight for me.

The main antagonist starts to turn the heat up on Meth as he drives around listening to the same Method Man song on his car stereo. He is listening to the same song in every scene that he has in the car and it becomes both somewhat irritating and unnecessary.

By the time something does happen, the filmmakers have clearly decided that we need to be informed of this (as most will have fallen asleep) and so they blast some of the worst 'suspense' music I've heard used in a long time. There are also extended sax solos at some of the depressing scenes which can only help to lighten the mood. I love sax solos, especially when they are used to highlight the severity of a situation or the revelation of a chilling back-story. The film gets bonus points for this.

You spend so much time for Meth to revert to gangsta mode and start busting heads. I will let you find out for yourself how, when and if this actually happens at all. The levels of melodrama in this range from the acceptable to the soap opera and so it's hard to be overly enthusiastic about this film. It would have made a good short, or an episode of a TV show, but as a feature length, it becomes a chore to get through. It's fine, but as we all speed towards our own tenure on the mortician's slab, we should probably aim for better than 'fine'.

Read more at zombiehamster.com

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 2013 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

The Mortician

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Full Circle Films, Belladonna Productions, Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1