Movie Review: Mute

Directed by Duncan Jones

Starring Alexander Skarsgard

The main character is Leo (actor Alexander Skarsgard who also played Eric in True Blood)

Here we see Alexander Skarsgard in a different light than his True Blood character. As Leo, he is innocent, sweet and loves his girlfriend, Naadirah (played by Sayneb Saleh). Leo had an accident, when he was young, that messed up his vocal cords leaving him unable to talk. Anytime a character does not speak, it means the actor has to really sell the character’s emotions through their facial expressions and body movements, of which Alexander Skarsgard really did well!

My favorite scene is when Naadirah starts to tell Leo a secret that she has been keeping from him. Leo at first starts to panic thinking that she is breaking up with him, he tears up and after she reassures him that she is not breaking up with him. He writes “then nothing else is important”. I was so touched, that’s how real love is supposed to be, if you really love your person, accept your person with all of their flaws.

Naadirah disappears and Leo sets out to find her. He does not stop until he figures out the mystery. Along the way he discovers some bad things about Naadirah’s life but Leo gets it – don’t judge the person you said you love! Leo setting out to find Naadirah was harder for him because he doesn’t talk and through the film you saw how he communicated to strangers when asking about Naadirah. Leo did not let his non talking get in the way, he kept asking with a picture, pointing, beating people, drawing, writing, following, whatever it took to find his Naadirah.

The movie is set in Berlin, Germany, in the near future where cars fly. The main theme was love – mainly the love Leo has for Naadirah and secondly the love between two besties – Cactus (played by Paul Rudd) and Duck (played by Justin Theroux) – they drink together, do surgeries together (they are doctors), and were soldiers together in the past. Cactus is focused on getting forged documents for himself and his young daughter so that they can get out of Berlin while Duck is content with his life. Cactus discovers something really messed up about Duck which could potentially end their friendship but he decides to rough Duck up a bit and make Duck promise never to act on it, hence the love between to besties.

All in all, I liked this movie, it gave me hope that there are still some good men (like Leo) out in the world!