Text size: increase text sizedecrease text size

'Mr. Lonely'

Rating:

The late Stu Troup, Newsday's former jazz writer, once said of Wynton Marsalis that he'd never be great until someone broke his heart. With this in mind, you have to wonder about the emotional breadth and crazy beauty of "Mister Lonely" and how it now comes from the onetime poster child of abrasive transgression, Harmony Korine.

The writer of "Kids," director of the perversely obscure "Julien Donkey-Boy" and "Gummo," Korine has now, with his brother Avi, written an oddly sweet fantasia about celebrity lookalikes and love. Korine has always been a collector of characters, and in "Mister Lonely" - what is it about oddball filmmakers and Bobby Vinton songs? (see: Lynch, "Blue Velvet") - he has directors Werner Herzog and Leos Carax, Anita Pallenberg, magician David Blaine and Mexican heartthrob Diego Luna as Michael, as in Jackson.

A street performer/impersonator, Michael falls in with Marilyn Monroe (Samantha Morton) and is spirited away to the Scottish Highlands and a commune cast with lookalikes. It's mad - check out the flying nuns - but also touching.

MISTER LONELY (unrated). With Denis Lavant, James Fox. 1:52. At the IFC Center, Manhattan.

- JOHN ANDERSON

Related topic galleries: Movies, John Anderson, Wynton Marsalis, Werner Herzog, Leos Carax, Harmony Korine, Manhattan (New York City)

Get breaking news | Most popular stories | Dining and Travel deals all via e-mail!

Movie listings



Classifieds


  • Jobs

  • Real Estate

  • Cars
The downtown draw

These six town centers lure with arts, eateries, shops, and style.

Your fave LI downtowns | Community Guide

Recent Sales | Towns | Find Property

Electric cars light up Paris show

Hybrids, plug-ins and pure electric vehicles arrive in force as manufacturers sort out battery woes.

Chevy Volt | Tailgaters

Newsday Cars | Autos A-Z | Multimedia

Movie listings



Photo galleries

Entertainment photos

Shows and stars, movies and music, events and more.