Motherless Brooklyn

2019 • 144 minutes
4.1
68 reviews
64%
Tomatometer
R
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Set against the backdrop of 1950s New York, “Motherless Brooklyn” follows Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), a lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna (Bruce Willis). Armed only with a few clues and the powerful engine of his obsessive mind, Lionel unravels closely-guarded secrets that hold the fate of the whole city in the balance. In a mystery that carries him from gin-soaked jazz clubs in Harlem to the hard-edged slums of Brooklyn and, finally, into the gilded halls of New York's power brokers, Lionel contends with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city to honor his friend and save the woman who might be his own salvation.
Rating
R

Ratings and reviews

4.1
68 reviews
Jaisri Lingappa
September 4, 2021
Loved this movie! It is beautifully crafted with phenomenal acting, great characters, interesting storyline, music, and cinematography. I wish all movies were as creative as this one with their scores. For anyone interested in the history of New York City, in community battles to save neighborhoods, and in how racism was woven into the fabric of the twentieth century, this is a must-see movie. Edward Norton clearly knows a lot about how neighborhoods are destroyed. Yes, the movie is a bit long, but it had me engaged from start to finish. I wouldn't cut anything.
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Shannon
January 26, 2020
These 1 star unavailable to rent posts are so ridiculously stupid in a world already filled with enough stupid. Since just paying attention to the world you inhabit is apparently not enough. Try to read and figure out WHY they are unavailable to rent. It's not like the Google Play store just invented this. *eyeroll*
43 people found this review helpful
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Adam Alexander
April 10, 2020
Excellent NYC noir, cozy yet exciting, just like the alternating smoothness and frenzy of jazz tunes that punctuate its soundtrack. An obvious labor of love from Edward Norton.
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