Directed by married couple Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, Mister John opens with the harrowing image of a dead body floating in a lake, setting the tone succinctly and effectively, and getting the viewer in the correct frame of mind for what is an emotive and pensive piece of cinema.
The floating body belongs to that of John, an Irish man who had run a bar in Singapore and started a family out in South East Asia. His brother, Gerry (Aidan Gillen), flies out to look after the business and accompany his grieving wife (Zoe Tay) and daughter. Ultimately stepping into his dead brother’s shoes, Gerry physically, and emotionally, takes on his life – however by doing so, he leaves behind a wife and daughter of his own back in Britain, as he contemplates whether he should remain out in Singapore, or face up to his own problems and get the next flight home.
Mister John is a slow-burning, meditative production that really makes the viewer work hard to piece it all together. It makes for tense viewing and a foreboding atmosphere lingers, as we know something untoward is occurring, as John’s death remains a constant source of mystery. It’s well structured though, ensuring that the viewer remains captivated, as we are fed vital bits of information in sporadic fashion, with the emphasis equally shared between the various themes at play, all of which are dealt with delicately. Gerry’s turbulent family life at home, overcoming his brother’s death, and of course adjusting to a whole new culture in the process, creates the tale of a very lonely, dejected man, lost in his own thoughts – and it’s the very subtext that exists which makes this picture so compelling.
There’s a lot to this title, as it even bears a seedy, erotic edge to it that adds another dimension altogether. Though credit must go to the filmmakers – a man is diagnosed with a permanent erection after a snake bite, and we don’t feel like laughing once, such is the cold, ambivalent ambiance. Lawlor and Molloy must also be commended for capturing the spirit and essence of the South East Asian setting, yet doing so from a tourist’s perspective. It’s a worthy accomplishment and sets the scene aptly, while the way the locals treat Gerry as a Westerner is very authentic too, with a believable dynamic to the relationships formed.
Given the nature of the film, much is reliant on the performance of Gillen, and he does nothing but impress. There are shades of Drive to this tale, in how we follow a single man’s personal journey so closely, in a film with a sparse use of dialogue. However, and though there is no doubt Gillen hasn’t quite got the allurement and enigma that Ryan Gosling possesses, he is a more relatable protagonist, and the film benefits as a result. Meanwhile, it’s fascinating to see how this entire film revolves around a character (John) who isn’t even properly in the film.
To stick with the Nicolas Winding Refn comparisons, Mister John carries a premise not too dissimilar to that of Only God Forgives, except where this excels, is that both Lawlor and Molloy have remembered that there is an audience watching, an audience who are hoping to be entertained and follow a distinct cinematic path. Which, nine times out of ten, tends to help.
[Rating:3/5]
