MICKEY 17
Rated R
137 Minutes
Released March 7th
Mickey 17 plays like a journey, a momentous journey, to another planet. It’s 2054, a time when humans have developed the technical abilities necessary to clone themselves, but in spite of epic scientific advances, you will find that they are the same humans they’ve always been. Personality traits are recognizable, especially of those in leadership roles. The role of “Kenneth Marshall,” played with great sarcasm by Mark Ruffalo, is a thinly veiled rendition of a certain current world leader, even recreating his mannerisms and pattern of speech.
The expedition to colonize the planet Niflheim takes several years. The indigenous life on the strange new planet is strangely recognizable, as the creatures look like giant versions of the smallest form of life that we know on Earth, the Tardigrade. And, the tardigrade-like life forms in the film are highly socially intelligent, perhaps more so than humans, becoming a mirror for each of us to hold up to our preconceived concept of what intelligence looks like.
The sensitive emphasis on translation tools to comprehend the native language of these creatures undoubtedly arises from director Bong Joon Ho’s own experience. When he received his Oscars for his 2019 film Parasite, translator Choi Sung-Jae gracefully interpreted his thank-you speeches for him onstage.
The cinematography of Darius Khondji and the sets by production designer Fiona Crombie, are highly inventive and not at all reminiscent of the clinically clean spaceships of most Sci Fi films. There is not a lot of color in the film – the environment is dark, letting human complexions stand out.
Our hero, “Mickey Barnes,” played by Robert Pattinson, is running from a loan shark with his partner “Timo” (Steven Yuen) after they fail to make a payment on the opening of their now-defunct macaron bakery. So the two hapless fugitives, well-meaning, sweet Mickey being the more hapless of the two, sign up for the dangerous expedition. Mickey volunteers for the lowest and most treacherous position offered on the ship, as an “Expendable,” a role where he is constantly killed off and regenerated – hence the Mickey 17 title.
Robert Pattinson’s work is impressive, staying true to the soul of Mickey while exhibiting subtle personality changes in each new Mickey version. Pattinson has paid his dues into being a fine actor. Born and raised in London, he loved music and film as a child. He learned piano and guitar at the age of 4, and as a kid, he preferred to watch movies rather than do his homework. In his late teens and early 20s, he performed often at open mic nights playing guitar and singing songs he wrote himself.
He thought he would become a musician or a speech writer, and then his father suggested he join a drama club to relieve some of his acute shyness. He started taking small roles on stage, which led to his casting in the lead role in a production of Our Town. An agent “discovered” him on stage and after doing small roles on British TV, he booked the part of “Edward Cullen” in the Twilight series of films after casting directors had seen 3000 other actors’ auditions for the role. After achieving stardom, Pattinson now focuses on complex roles in the kind of cinema that had fascinated him as a teen.
The work of South Korean filmmaker Bong Jun Ho is imaginative, full of surprises, and lays bare all the grittiness of reality with both dark and bright humor. Bong first became well-known for directing Snow Piercer in 2013, and achieved star status with Parasite (2019) which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was the first South Korean film to win Academy Award nominations and to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. In college, Bong took part in demonstrations for South Korean democracy. He bought his first movie camera by selling donuts in the school cafeteria, and he made money in college by shooting wedding videos.
Mickey 17 would make a great TV series. The society on the ship is a reflection of the varied cultural civilizations on Earth, their emotions, conniving machinations, affairs, and flaws. The film’s style has a “Game of Thrones” sensibility, and within the premise, the project could continue to explore the intricacies of human nature and the balance between the effects of civilization and our planet. See Mickey 17 for the creative environment put together by Bong, Khondji, Crombie and the filmmakers, for the performance of Pattinson, and for fun cameos by some of the best actors of our time.
