So there’s this band of celebrity impersonators who live in a commune. 

Yep no joke.. this is the premise of Harmony Korine’s trip to bizarre world, “Mr. Lonely.” The result is a wonderfully odd look at performers who can only exist with theatrics.  It doesn’t matter that the rest of the world has passed them by.

A struggling Michael Jackson mime meets fellow tribute artiste Marilyn Monroe at a retirement home gala. She soon convinces him to follow her out to a Scottish Castle where faux Abe Lincoln, Shirley Temple, Madonna and Sammy Davis, Jr. have decided to live together. Reminiscent of the commune scene in “Easy Rider”, they are a populous of people who feel like they can survive on good spirits. Theirs is a  quixotic world, with no judgments. Even if it means the 3 Stooges have to dispose of dead sheep, Buckwheat rides farm animals and the Pope and the Queen share a bed. This ragtag group of “TMZ Spotlight” wannabees have one mission; to build a theater so they can perform for the planet.  But is Charlie Chaplin a tyrant in the making in this Utopia? 

“Mr Lonely” has some of the most authentically painful performances in recent memory.  These desperate souls are trapped in the bodies of the celebs they always wanted to become. At heart they are pure dreamers, regardless that their idea of entertainment may be a bit different  than the rest of us. The plight of the
hopeless dreamer is a tricky line to walk. What is a ham actor like when he is serious?  While the results are often funny, there is a vague hopelessness under the skin of each character. Optimists who have had to continually redefine the failure bar. All of the performances are pitch perfect.

Harmony Korine’s directing style is at a measured pace. He lets the actors speak for themselves and the scenes play out to an extra beat to allow a “what next” moment. His first feature in nearly a decade, he has not lost a bit of the edge he showed in “GUMMO “or “KIDS.” He continues his analysis of the human condition. 

Overall “Mr. Lonely” is a very thought provoking piece about being true to yourself… or not.

Mr. Lonely is out now in limited release.

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