Official movie poster taken from IMDB
Movie available on Netflix Canada (11/08/18)
Billed with a 30 million dollar tax bill, Lord Mortdecai is placed in a desperate situation to finds to pay the bill. After the murder of an art restorer, Mortdecai is requested by an old classmate now detective in MI5 to investigate since the deceased was restoring a Goya that is now gone. Following a trail of clues, Mortdecai encounters a crocked art dealer, the Russian mob, a buyer with unscrupulous morals and his nymphomaniac daughter, a terrorist looking for funds, and of course MI5. They all have their reasons to want the painting, especially after discovering that the Goya may be a priceless lost painting. The painting is revealed to be hidden in Mortdecai's car by the buyer, Krampf who was told about the painting by the art restorer who wanted to make a deal. Of course, this leads everyone to Krampf's house and obliges Mortdecai to intervene. With the aid of his wife, the police, and Jock, Mortdecai recovers the painting and deduces a plan to sell it in order to recoup the money. His plan is successful, but the money is used to pay his tax bill, leaving Mortdecai and his wife Joanne near penniless, however, they know they sold a fake painting in an auction and still have the real Goya in their possession.
This is a detective mystery laced with comedy, or what passes as comedy for some. There were many pratfalls and jokes about Mortdecai's sympathetic gag reflex, so whenever someone throw's up or is about to, this means Mortdecai also is affected by it. Once or twice is fine, but it felt as if this was one of the main gags of the movie. Another is how Mortdecai loves his mustache, but his wife doesn't, causing her to gag whenever they kiss, which of course, activates his sympathetic gag reflex.
Although it was predictable, I did enjoy the plot, particularly how in the end, Mortdecai got the painting and gave up the money he could have gotten. Throughout the money you had a good sense of back and forth in the plot and I could tell the movie wasn't looking to take itself too seriously. I also liked Paltrow's performance in the movie, giving the sense she wasn't in control, yet knowing full well she was. Both Depp and McGregor's characters were chasing after her, although Mortdecai and Joanna both knew that Martland had no chance at winning Joanna's hand. And of course Martland is played as the hapless MI5 agent who still is in love with Joanna, after meeting her in college and being unsuccessful in wooing her, losing her to, Mortdecai of course. This of course causes friction between the two men, this friction added to by Mortdecai's criminal activities, making Martland believe he is unworthy of her.
I think though, scratching a bit of the surface, the movie represents some of the social issues many people are going through. Joanne Mortdecai represents the traditional woman who sees that she should still be the loving and supportive wife, but also knows that her beauty and charm can be used to benefit not only herself, but also her husband. This is seen when she seduces Martland, she knows he still has feelings for her and that he would do anything if he thought this would help him win her heart. Mortdecai is an older man seemingly going through a mid-life crisis, still believe to be young, attractive and virile. So when he sees that he may lose his wife to another man, a jealous rival no less, this throws him into a sense of duty to prove his manhood by accepting to solve Martland's robbery case. Even though Mortdecai is doing it mostly to resolve his money issues, I believe a part of it is also to show his wife he is still the young and attractive man he was. He is the older man trying to keep his youth alive for as long as possible. Martland is the man who is still young and naïve in mind: he is single and has no children, and still believes he can sweep Joanna off her feet. He bases his decisions and behavior with her on his feelings rather than his intellect and feels than he has a superior intellect to Mortdecai although Mortdecai, even when he's a bubbling buffoon, seems to be one step ahead of Martland.
Overall, I liked the movie and felt it didn't get enough praise although an Academy Award, even for comedy, would not be merited.
I give the movie 4 "my sympathetic gag reflex" out of 6 "I love you, Bunny".
(All views in this article are my own and the rating is as valuable as unicorn farts).