Shhh... You've found us.
Welcome to The Auteurs.
Your online cinema. Anytime, anywhere.

Mister Lonely

United States

2008

112 Min
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

   |   

110 Views

DIR Harmony Korine

PROD Robin Wood

SCR Avi Korine, Harmony Korine

DP Marcel Zyskind

CAST Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Werner Herzog, Anita Pallenberg, David Blaine, Joseph Morgan, Denis Lavant

Cannes, London (Film on the Square)

Synopsis

The story, according to the Korines, is of a young American man lost in Paris. He scratches out a living as a Michael Jackson look-alike, dancing on the streets, public parks, tourist spots and trade shows. Different from everyone else, he feels as if he’s floating between two worlds. During a show in an old people’s home Michael Jackson meets Marilyn Monroe. Haunted by her angelic beauty he follows her to a commune in the Highlands, joining her husband Charlie Chaplin and her daughter Shirley Temple. A place where everyone is famous and no-one gets old. Here, The Pope, The Queen of England, Madonna, James Dean and other impersonators build a stage in the hope that the world will visit and watch them perform. Nuns fall out of airplanes and children ride ponies. Everything is beautiful. Until the world shifts, and reality intrudes on their utopian dream.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Lonely)

Director

Harmony-korine

Harmony Korine

Harmony Korine (born January 4, 1973) is a US film director and writer. He first appeared in the public’s eye as the author of film director Larry Clark’s debut, Kids, a tale of irresponsible teenagers in New York which garnered rave reviews but was literally unable to be seen by the intended audience due to the NC-17 / unrated rating.

Following the success of that Harmony directed and co-produced Gummo, another unique story loosely based around the premise of aspects of life in Xenia, Ohio, post-tornado (although most of it was not filmed there). Harmony cast himself in the film, which features very unusual / disturbing images (bacon on the walls, deaf people arguing, delinquent children) in a bit part as a shy gay teenager. He also had a cameo in Kids as a clubgoer. His sometimes girlfriend, actress Chloë Sevigny (who first appeared in Kids) was perhaps the most well-known star in an otherwise largely non-actors movie.

Mr. Korine followed this movie with another one… read more

Wall

Displaying 4 of 27 wall posts.

LaraV

26Jan10

I think i want to have awesome babies with Harmony.  
Picture of oliverbeatty

oliverbeatty

15Jan10

Staggeringly pointless. The most poignant aspect was my permanent frown reflected in the laptop screen. Unfortunately being stuck in a travelodge and having paid 5 euro I was obliged to watch the entirety. By the time Samantha Morton does the decent thing I too was searching about for a sturdy hook. Anybody who thinks this is art, and not a string of back of the napkin nonsense, is entirely deluded.   
Picture of definedivine

definedivine

1Jan10

Some aspects of film (like small details, which were done to perfection) were thought out nicely and carefully, the whole idea of film is also very interesting but for my opinion that attempt of indie/mainstream mixture didn’t come out in whole as good as I thought it will. I was far more amazed by Gummo.  
Picture of Roger Hayn

Roger Hayn

27Dec09

Korine is a good spokesperson for the future of artistic American cinema. He represents the outsiders whose psyche's have been slowly disturbed by the bizarre underlying aspects of American culture, but have broken free from the mainstream and it's limited consciousness. He doesn't take himself very seriously, and his style can best be labeled as "weirdness" more than anything. Well, this is definitely weird, but I thought…  more

Related Films

Fans

Displaying 5 of 261 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
Untitled-1

Movie Poster of the Week: "Gummo"

By Adrian Curry on September 18, 2009
Say what you will about Harmony Korine's films, but his posters are something else. If his cinematic output can be criticized as formless, arbitrary, crudely provocative and often intentionally repulsive
read article
Tifftrash184

The Auteurs Daily: Cinema Scope 40 & Toronto and NYFF. Trash Humpers

By David Hudson on September 16, 2009
Updated through 10/31. Cinema Scope's new front page - the splash page, you might call it - sports a still from Harmony Korine's Trash Humpers and, inside, in the Spotlight section previewing the
read article

Lists

Displaying 5 of 15 lists.

Reviews

Displaying 3 of 3

Untitled

By tOddity on October 15, 2009

I was completely and utterly enchanted by this film. The absurd, hyper-imaginative imagery, bizarre characterization and powerful themes of belonging and individuality are beautifully poignant. I’m…  read review

Untitled

By Michael​-John Hansen on December 30, 2008

Korine has an amazing ability to generate dialogue about his own films, and cinema in general. While Mister Lonely struggles to stand in greater context, it undeniable crafts an absorbing world upon…  read review

Untitled

By William Rutledg​e on November 26, 2008

Those who think Korine failed with this film, don’t know enough about him. Just because he’s maturing doesn’t mean he’s losing his touch. Few films have left me numb, this is one that has and it was…  read review

Forum

Displaying 2 discussion topics.

Is Mister Lonely a good Korine film?

15 posts by 11 people 9 months ago