Mortdecai

Johnny Depp stars in the British comic-novel turned movie as the infamous Charles Mortdecai. The film opens with Mortdecai finishing up an art deal. It is hear we learn about his shady past and financial woes. The deal soon goes South and violence ensues. Joined by his man servant Jock Straps, played by Paul Bettany to offer help. We then see an unknown woman restoring a priceless painting. She is murdered, and the painting is the stolen. Enter the police, led by Inspector Martland (Ewan McGregor), learning that art is the heart of the case, he turns to the one man who can help him solve the mystery… Mortdecai!

This is the setup for this slapstick Sherlock meets Antiques Roadshow. Let’s start with the positives, the cinematography is interesting and eye-catching, complete with flashbacks and revealing the back stories of essential characters. I enjoyed this; it was appealing. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended for me.

It may be partly due to the fact that I was not familiar with its source material. The acting was weak and “phoned in.” I have been a fan of Depp, but he missed the mark on this role. The cast, as a whole, lacks substance. The plot exists, however the cast seems unaware of it. Some of my criticism may be partially due to the fact that I am not a fan of British comedic style.

As for objectionable content, there is quite a bit—mostly an abundance sexual innuendos. There is blasphemous language, which seems to come out of nowhere—added as routine. There is also foul language and vulgar talk, that, coupled with the acting, makes the film nearly unwatchable.

The movie deals with theft, greed and dishonesty. Which may be obvious sins, but they struck a chord with me. As Christians, we should always be on guard and not fall prey to “little” sins that may cause our brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble.

I cannot recommend this film. However, if you are a fan of British humor you might enjoy it.

Violence: Moderate to heavy / Profanity: Heavy—“Jesus Christ,” “Good L*rd,” “Dear G*d,” “God,” “Oh G*d” (2), “Good G*d” (2), “damn” (4), “hell” (2), f-words (2), SOB, various sexual slang words / Sex/Nudity: Very Heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.