'Motherless Brooklyn' creates a mix of magic and missteps

FALLBROOK – Set in 1950s New York, filled with a star-studded cast including actor, screenplay writer and director Edward Norton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, William Dafoe, Alec Baldwin and Bruce Willis and laden with an equal amount of heavenly, yet down to earth, acting performances – most notably Norton’s – “Motherless Brooklyn” circuitously navigates the relationship and friendship between Norton and his boss, played by Willis, who runs a private detective company, as well as Norton’s medical condition, which presents significant and awkward challenges in many aspects of his life.

As the film evolves, one mysterious issue takes center stage. Aside from Norton’s considerable medical struggle, several other sub-plots are intricately intertwined with the primary storyline, but even when examined or taken separately – though some of them are, sadly, all too common – they, nevertheless, evoke deep thought, empathy and soul-searching moments as well.

In spite of goose bump-like acting performances right from the get-go, unfortunately, a significant part of the beginning of the film was fraught with such confusion that the audience wondered, not only what was going on, but if the story was going to come together – though it seemed at least possible, considering the cast.

Just at the point where audiences were considering giving up on the film, “the turn” did come, though still blending a clear degree of Hollywood predictability with a meld of thrilling twists and turns – at times with very clever writing, while at other points fracturing the cohesiveness of the story.

Regardless of the mistakes, moving dialogue, cleverly and heartfelt placed humor, deftly shot cinematography, as well as wonderfully apropos wardrobes and haunting music, together added powerful ambiance to many dramatic scenes.

While this film delivers a mix of some very convoluted scenes and segments, along with some of the typical and expected Hollywood inferences and outcomes, in the end, it remains well-worth seeing. Norton’s remarkably vulnerable, yet determined, portrayal – one of his finest – helped to keep the viewer engrossed in his pursuit of the truth. His personal interactions throughout the story, as well as his solitary moments, make for some of the most compelling and memorable parts of the film. With Oscar nods likely for Norton, he is the thread that weaves through and keeps this film together – though, sadly, it did have the potential to be an undisputed classic.

***1/2/*****