Synopsis: Only Harmony Korine (writer of Kids, auteur of Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy) could weave Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, her daughter Shirley Temple, and flying nuns into a hypnotically funny and truly poignant tale. Mister Lonely marks Korine’s return and became an audience favorite at the Cannes, Toronto, and SXSW Film Festivals.

A lonely Michael Jackson impersonator wanders the streets of Paris in search of something grand when he meets an enchantingly beautiful Marilyn Monroe, who invites Michael to join her at a commune solely inhabited by other impersonators. At the commune, Michael and Marilyn alongside her husband Charlie Chaplin, the Queen of England, Abraham Lincoln, Sammy Davis Jr., and a host of other impersonators prepare for a star-studded stage show. As the performers rehearse for their performance, a miracle is occurring several continents away involving a Latin American priest (the legendary Werner Herzog) and his missionary of nuns who literally soar through the sky in search of their own answers.
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Mister Lonely 6.0

With a title like this one, one could be excused for mixing it up with the Steve Martin comedy ‘The Lonely Guy’ or for thinking that it’s a depressing film about some dude with no friends, sitting on the edge of his bed, wondering if it’s worth getting up.

Well, this film is neither.

In fact, I’m not quite sure why it’s called ‘Mister Lonely’, because the film is about a Michael Jackson impersonator who falls in with a motley group of celebrity impersonators, charmed by the friendliness of their Marilyn Monroe.

It’s an odd little film, because the impersonators don’t really resemble the originals that much and because the story frequently goes nowhere for great lengths of time. In fact, it’s very hard to figure out why the film was made and what the filmmaker wanted to say (because, in truth, my feeling is that there is a statement there somewhere):

-is it a statement about the life of actors, and their need for approval and appreciation?
-is it a comment about pop culture being our new religion (albeit with very different idols to worship and/or patron saints)?
-is it about the community of actors, their ideals and their dreams versus the reality of ‘real’ life?
-is it a combination of the above?
-is it none of the above?

Who knows, aside from the director (who also co-wrote the script)? I sure as heck don’t, and I wish that there were a documentary and/or commentary on the DVD so as to get a clearer picture. As it stands, however, your guess is as good as mine (and you probably haven’t seen ‘Mister Lonely’ yet)

So, without a clear understanding, this film ends up being a relatively vacant drama featuring characters that are vaguely familiar. The performances are decent, but not great, the camera work is unexceptional and the overall quality of the film shows its low-budget roots.

…so it would hardly be surprising if this film found itself quite alone, in a dust bin somewhere, forgotten by time.