Mute
Despite some promising elements, Mute struggles to explore philosophical questions within a sci-fi setting in a way that feels innovative and fresh.
An original projection that filmmaker Duncan Jones has been developing for yr , Muteis a sci - fi / Noir flick that train topographic point in the same universe as Jones ' 2009 filmMoon(his feature duration directorial entry ) but operates for the most part as a standalone tale . MoonandMuteshare some of the same creative DNA in a thematic sentiency too , in that both are character - driven movies that undertake to find the world within the political machine of a futuristic earth that ’s not so far removed from our own modern realism ( in certain ways ) . WhereasMoonsucceeds in go intriguing sci - fi concepts with an emotionally resonant human storey , Muteunfortunately comes up suddenly in both respects . Despite some promising elements , Mutestruggles to explore philosophical interrogative within a sci - fi setting in a agency that feels innovative and fresh .
Set in Berlin around the mid-21st century ( or " Forty years from today " , as the official abstract puts it),Muterevolves around Leo Beiler ( Alexander Skarsgård ): a bartender who has been mute since a childhood accident but has never undergone the available operative procedure to restore his phonation by technological mean , due to his strict Amish upbringing . When he ’s not working , Leo spends his time with his gentle - haired coworker and girlfriend Naadira ( Seyneb Saleh ) , a adult female with secrets of her own - secrets that leave to her vanish one 24-hour interval , leaving Leo to wonder what happened and why she disappeared without say a word to him first .
Leo thus decides to wager amateurish detective and track Naadira down on his own , direct him down a path to discovering more about who she is and the life sentence that she led before meeting him . As he carry out his investigation , Leo finds himself again and again crossing way of life with a shifty yoke of former U.S. military surgeon : Duck Teddington ( Justin Theroux ) and " Cactus " Bill ( Paul Rudd ) , the latter of which is seek to batten down a passport so that he can leave the country . Is this bare coincidence , or are these shady characters somehow connected to Naadira and her sudden departure ?
Reuniting with hisMooncinematographer Gary Shaw , Jones combine substantial cosmos footage of modern Berlin ( whereMutewas mostly film ) with Ne - lit set and CGI skyline backdrop to make a setting here that is reminiscent ofBlade Runner- a movie that Jones has long admit was a heavy influence onMute- yet has its own distinctly European papa nip and tempo . This is further meditate in the costume by Ruth Myers ( The Golden Compass , Legend of Tarzan ) , which are stylized yet relatively ground in their aesthetic and assistant to not only create a sense of atmosphere inMute , but also reflect the moving-picture show ’s root of traditionalism versus futurism . AlthoughMute ’s mid - range budget shows in both its practical set piece and computer - animated elements , the film is mostly successful in painting a portraiture of futurist Berlin as a grimy , overcrowded city - one that could indeed conceivably exist within the next forty year .
WhereMutestruggles is when it comes to using its Noir - influenced future universe to explore meaningful skill - fabrication outlet , and/or weave material social and political commentary into the tapestry of its narrative . AlthoughMoonprovides some additional context for the state of things inMute ’s troubled scene , the two films do n’t really enrich one another thematically or from a storytelling view , constitute the connexion between them all the more flimsy and unnecessary . Jones and his cowriter Michael Robert Johnson ( Sherlock Holmes , Pompeii ) nod to gravid topics about immigration and class divisions inMutewith their script study , but have trouble merge the film ’s Noir mystery tale throughline ( which itself is rather predictable ) with sci - fi elements as seamlessly as Jones did in his second film , Source Code .
Mute ’s agonist Leo is likewise a character whose personal beliefs and ( literal ) deficiency of a voice in an increasingly technology - drive man are entrancing and ripe for further examination , but mostly attend as a plot gimmick that impede Leo in his efforts to come up out what happened to Naadira , more than anything else . At the same time , the role does play to Skarsgård ’s persuasiveness as an histrion who specialise in portray impregnable and/or unsounded types , allowing him to bend his acting muscles without the benefit of dialog to help leave an impression . Skarsgård and Saleh have decent screen chemistry too , bringing a sense of sweetness to the few scenes between Leo and Naadira - though at the end of the day , both Naadira and her romance with Leo are underdeveloped and fail to have much of an emotional impact .
Skarsgård ’s buttoned down ( muted ? ) carrying out as Leo does contrast nicely with the hammier turns from Theroux and Rudd inMute . The latter worker make for an effectively cheap pair of operating surgeon who pass their days cleanse up bullet train - interpenetrate goons for those that sovereignty over Berlin ’s underbelly , with Rudd ’s " Cactus " Bill by nature being the more comedic ( though violent ) of the duo and Theroux the creepier , more outright unnerving one ( not to mention , a intimate predator).Mutedevotes a average amount of its runtime to the characters , fleshing them out and presenting them as foils to the more compassionate and good - natured Leo ( and not just in damage of how much they talk , even when not compare to the film ’s protagonist ) . regrettably , neither " Cactus " nor Duck are all that compelling or interesting on their own , in malice of the o.k. performance behind them … and of course , Rudd ’s splendid facial fuzz .
As obvious as the comparison may be , Muteis an uninspired sci - fi / Noir offer that resemble a lower - grade adaptation of the actualBlade Runnersequel that came out last year , Blade Runner 2049 . Jones spent several years forge on the project , but the last movie outcome feels like an intriguing concept that he simply was n’t capable to realize as fully as those from his previous grapheme - aim sci - fi features , MoonandSource Code . Mutehas a firm curl on its mythology and macrocosm - construction that arguably Jones’Warcraftvideo plot adaptation did , yet like that fantasy adventure the former ’s reach at long last exceeds its grasp . Those who are devotee of sci - fi / Noir in general and have already watched season 1 of Netflix’sAltered Carbonmight want to give the streaming service ’s a la mode original movie a smell , but it ’s not a must - see even for those who typically love the sub - literary genre .
TRAILER
Muteis now uncommitted for streaming through Netflix . It is 126 minutes long and is rated TV - MA .
Duncan Jones explore a sci - fi neo - noir Earth in Mute , a Netflix original film that sees a wordless man head into Berin ’s underworld to find his wanting girlfriend . Leo , a dumb barman working in a Berlin cartoon strip club , is left clues by his substantial other after mystic circumstances leave her missing . To find her , Leo will lean into his wild talents and engagement his agency to the trueness .
Paul Rudd in Mute
Paul Rudd in Mute
Justin Theroux in Mute
