MUTE

UK/Germany, 2018, 126 minutes, Colour.
Alexander Skarsgaard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, Robert Sheehan, Seyneb Saleh, Noel Clarke, Dominic Monaghan, Sam Rockwell.
Directed by Duncan Jones.

Mute is a futuristic drama set in a rather seedy underworld in Berlin in 2035. It is something of a film noir of the future, with sets reminiscent of Blade Runner urban design.

Alexander Skarsgaard plays a mute bartender, suffering an injury in childhood and his Amish mother refusing to get medical help. He is in love with one of the waitresses in the bar.

When she disappears, he goes into the underbelly of Berlin searching for her, coming across a pair of sinister doctors, American quacks, Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux. The film offers a range of sleazy characters, prostitutes, Robert Sheehan as a cross-gender escort, and cameos from British actors, Noel Clarke, Dominic Monaghan, as well as an uncredited cameo from Sam Rockwell (who was the star of the director’s Moon).

The director is Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) who also made Source Code and Warcraft: the Beginning.

1. The prologue, Leo and the injury, in the water, rescued – but the background of the Amish, forbidding surgery, his losing his capacity to speak, his neck injuries? Setting up expectations?

2. Moving on several decades? The opening up of the science-fiction world? Fantasy? The influence of the Blade Runner visuals of a future city? Futuristic – but, outside the city, countryside, more familiar? The international setting, the city of Berlin, the variety of languages spoken?

3. Leo’s story, at home, his love for Naadirah, the photo (and the culmination on the bridge on the site of the photo)? Her being late, going to meet her, happiness? The work at the bar, Leo as the bartender, Naadirah as a waitress, the men imposing on her, Leo and his temper and the fights? The threat of being fired? Naadirah wanting to tell him something confidentially, his saying it didn’t matter, her disappearance and the effect on him? The search for her, her gift of the camera on the phone, testing phones? Going on a quest?

4. The introduction to Cactus Bill, look, manner, at the club, contacts? The issue of the Americans, military, disappearance in Afghanistan? His contact? And with Duck? Their work as surgeons, the bullet from the gangster? Their contacts? Yet Duck having a proper laboratory, restoring limbs, his skill, the little girl and her artificial leg and walking on the machine? His later working on Leo, his throat, restoring his voice?

5. The gangsters running the clubs, the personnel, waitresses, the bar, the cyborg pole dancers? The personalities, the interactions, accosting Nadirah, wanting to apologise, Leo and his anger? Maxim, running the clubs, his contact with Nicki, finding out the truth about Nicki and his side business, wanting Bill and Duck to torture him and get information? They’re doing it?

6. Leo, his quest, his interrogations, getting leads, finding addresses, the takeaway food and phone numbers, getting an address, finding Naadirah’s mother, her grief? Rubbing the page with the address, finding Oswald, his address, manner, prostitution, his fears, giving Leo the money?

7. Luba, his work at the restaurant, gay, clothing, look? Interactions with Leo? At Oswald’s, his work there?

8. Duck and his behaviour with Josie, Josie as Bill’s daughter, his being protective, no sugar, care for her – and his warning off Duck? Duck, Bill’s attack, scenes of the bowling club, at the surgery? Duck promising?

9. Leo, the encounters with Josie, drawing the bears? Building up to the confrontation with Bill, that Bill was in a relationship with Naadirah, his killing her, preserving the body, his wanting documentation to get out of Berlin and go back to the States? Leo, Bill drawing the knife, Leo killing him, Duck finding him, listening to him, turning the mirror so that Bill would see him taking Josie?

10. Duck and the encounter with Leo, the surgery? In the car, the countryside, the bridge of the photo, Josie in the car, Duck intending to kill Leo, Leo and his strength, their both
going over the bridge, underwater, Duck’s death, Leo’s survival, saving Josie? To take her to her grandmother?

11. The unusual blend of science-fiction, quest for a missing woman, detection, science and medicine in the future, and a world of brutality and violence?