Nobody

Yesterday I tripped over a movie called:

Nobody (2007).

Not to be confused with the Bob Odenkirk movie called Nobody from 2021, this is a small, I guess indie movie, written and directed by Shawn Linden and starring Costas Mandylor and Ed O'Ross, amongst others.

Now, this will be pretty spoiler heavy or I can't do more than tell you that I watched it. That's okay though, since Nobody is a movie that is all about the experience rather than the plot, which is pretty confusing to follow.

Nobody is a Neo-Noir movie set in some kind of mid 20^th century city. No location is ever given, all we know is that there is an empty city, a lake and it's winter.

Our main character is Mortemain (Mandylor), a hitman dressed in black, complete with wide brimmed hat, a long coat with a broad fur collar and occasionally black shoe polish on his face. In the opening scene, he holds a gun to the head of local gangster boss Rolo Toles (O´Ross) and takes a package from him. Later, while making a call to his employer from a phone booth, he notices a man in a similar coat and hat stalking him. A running gun fight takes place and while Mortemain escapes, he is wounded. He goes to a ratty hotel to get a room, but to his surprise he already has a room. Later on, he returns to the boat where the terrified Toles is hiding with his men and to his shock overhears himself having the same conversation with Toles that he did earlier. Soon he follows himself to the same phone-booth and the same gunfight ensues.

Nobody is a loop movie. Or a movie about hell. Maybe some kind of dimension movie or... I don't know. As I said, the movie is very confusing, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that Nobody is incredibly stylish and atmospheric. I had to pause the movie early on to check that the director wasn't Alex Proyas, who made The Crow (1994), Dark City (1998) and I, Robot (2004). Clearly the director is Shawn Linden, but Nobody looks like a cross between Dark City and Miller's Crossing (1990).

Frankly I can't remember whether the movie has any music or not, so never mind that. I don't remember because the plot is so convoluted, even though it makes sense in a way and because scene after scene, shot after shot are so nice. Dark paintings come to life was a thought that bounced through my brain while watching.

There is a total of fourteen actors in this movie and they are all fine, but it is the interaction between Mandylor and O'Ross that matters and it is really good. The cold blooded Mortemain contrasts nicely with the snarling, screaming Toles. Mortemain tries to figure out what is going on and how to break the loop, while in between rants and threats, Toles frantically prays for the night to be over as he can't take much more.

So, do I recommend this movie? Yes. Nobody isn't rated very highly which is a shame, but I think people are turned off because of the weird plot. I enjoyed it a great deal, and if you enjoy movies like Dark City and Miller's Crossing with the same sort of mystery as in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, then have at it, you should have a good time. If you want to turn off the brain and relax, choose another movie.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great week!