Mister Lonely DVD Review

By Kam Williams    

Michael Jackson Look-a-Like Dominates Drama Due on DVD

A Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) has been eking out a living on the streets of Paris even though, except for the trademark dance moves, felt fedora and a single glove, he doesn't really look anything like him. As fate would have it, while performing for the elderly at a senior citizen center he meets a hauntingly-beautiful Marilyn Monroe look-a-like (Samantha Morton).

Sensing that "Michael" is a lost and lonely soul, she invites him home to her castle in the Scottish Highlands where she lives with a host of other celebrity wannabes, including her mustachioed husband, Charlie Chaplin (Dennis Lavant), and their mop-topped, six year-old daughter, Shirley Temple (Esme Creed-Miles).

Michael takes her up on the generous offer, as much because he was instantly smitten, as for the company of like-minded oddballs. Upon their arrival at the seaside estate, Marilyn matter-of-factly announces, "I found a Michael," whereupon the stranger finds himself welcomed into a community of losers pretending to be everyone from Madonna (Melita Morgan) to Sammy Davis, Jr. (Jason Pennycooke) to James Dean (Joseph Morgan) to Abraham Lincoln (Richard Strange) to Buckwheat (Michael-Joel Stuart) to the Pope (James Fox) to Little Red Riding Hood (Rachel Korine) to the Queen of England (Anita Pallenberg) to The Three Stooges, Moe (Daniel Rovai), Larry (Mal Whiteley) and Curly (Nigel Cooper).

The front story of this uneven production revolves around this motley crew's plans to put on a vaudeville show. Meanwhile, a subplot revolves around the simmering sexual tensions which arise between Michael and Marilyn after she rejects her hubby because he reminds her more of Hitler than Chaplin.

Unfortunately, once the novelty of all the celebrity impersonations wears off, the film never gives you much of a reason to care about the predicaments of any of its cardboard characters.

Fair (1.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 112 minutes
Studio: Genius Products
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes and "The Making of" featurette.

To see a trailer of Mister Lonely,