Known for taking up wacky roles, actor Johnny Depp appears as a slimy art dealer in this hit comedy
Many of us are used to seeing Johnny Depp play oddball characters, but his role in Mortdecai is so extremely eccentric you’d probably have some trouble acknowledging it’s really him. I hardly recognised him from the trailer alone:
Depp plays debonair art collector Charlie Mortdecai, who crosses the world for a stolen Goya painting. But it’s not the painting he’s really after – the art piece is rumoured to contain the code to a Nazi goldmine.
“He’s slippery and a little bit shifty, certainly in money matters,” said Depp about his titular character, who has some plans of his own for the stolen masterpiece.
Guy Candy, Eye Candy
Mortdecai is approached about the painting by his college buddy and intelligence officer Alistair Maitland, played by the eternally-dashing Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Star Wars).
Along the way, Mortdecai must grapple with some angry Russians, British intelligence, and his gangly wife (played by Gwyneth Paltrow). Oh, and an international terrorist is hot on his heels too.
While the ladies are kept busy with the likes of Depp and McGregor, the guys can feast their eyes on sultry superstar Olivia Munn. She stars as a flirtatious heiress who can’t keep her hands to herself.
Will Mortdecai be able to resist the advances of one of Maxim’s hottest women? And, more importantly (of course), who will successfully seize the Nazi gold?
Whoever lays their hands on the code in the end, I hope they can actually decipher it. They might need to enlist the help of Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays cryptanalyst Alan Turing in recent movie The Imitation Game.
The Funny Original
The movie adapts the cult favourite Mortdecai Trilogy, written by English author Kyril Bonfiglioli. Like the movie, the books follow Mortdecai on his bumbling antics within a corrupted society.
The original series has gained acclaim for its satiric tone, and has been translated into many languages across the world. The movie is based on the first Mortdecai book, humorously titled Don’t Point That Thing at Me.
With such a strong foundation to work off on, it’s no wonder so many big stars hopped on board for this project.
Silly, Good Comedy
A-list cast aside, Mortdecai has international audiences buzzing in hopes of quality comedy. After all, with the renowned zany Depp at the helm of the show, it’s hard not to expect hearty chortles at the cinema.
Not to worry, though. Depp himself – the star of Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series – has vouched for Mortdecai’s promise of laughs.
He described being tickled by his co-stars: “”We’d get the giggles (on set) and it’d last forever… Paul (Bettany) made me laugh so hard that the moustache I was wearing flew off.”
Well, if the great Johnny Depp gave Mortdecai two thumbs up (and one moustache down), that should be good enough reason to catch this film!
By Pamela Chow
Mortdecai [NC16]
Director: David Koepp
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Jeff Goldblum, Paul Bettany
Genre: Action, Comedy
Run length: 107 min
Release: 29 Jan
Photos: David Appleby and Stephen Vaughan, Cathay-Keris Films
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