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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 1 November 2019

In 'Motherless Brooklyn,' 'Chinatown'

goes East

By JAKE COYLE ly come to fruition — and Minna figures into it.
Associated Press it's clear that he wanted Norton is leading Essrog
Jonathan Lethem's novel to enlarge the story's am- into foundational midcen-
about a private eye with bitions. He's after a "China- tury New York history. Just
Tourette's syndrome, "Moth- town" for New York. as Jake Gittes unwittingly
erless Brooklyn," starts with Lionel Essrog (Norton) is pri- uncovered the water sup-
a brilliant burst of uncon- vate dick whose mentor ply sins on which Los Ange-
trolled profanity and an Frank Minna (Bruce Willis, les was built in "Chinatown,"
explanation of its protago- whose infrequent appear- ''Motherless Brooklyn" winds
nist's condition. ance in movies of late has its way through the neigh-
"Words rush out of the cor- only heightened his pow- borhood-destroying free-
This image released by Warner Bros. shows Edward Norton in a
scene from "Motherless Brooklyn." nucopia of my brain to erful presence), adopted way laying of Robert Mo-
Associated Press course over the surface Lionel and raised him in his ses' New York. "Motherless
of the world, tickling real- private investigator busi- Brooklyn" is more indebted,
ity like fingers on piano ness. When Minna is killed in ultimately, to Robert Caro's
keys. Caressing, nudging. the film's opening scenes, "The Power Broker" than Le-
They're an invisible army on Essrog throws himself into them's novel.
a peacekeeping mission, discovering the murder- The Robert Moses dop-
a peaceable horde. They ers, whipping up his fellow pelganger here is named
mean no harm." detectives — Tony (Bobby Moses Randolph and
Lethem lets loose a riot of Cannavale), Gilbert (Ethan played with perfection by
language across the sub- Suplee) and Danny (Dal- Alec Baldwin, who's mak-
sequent pages, remaking las Roberts) — to join in the ing something of a habit
a classic detective story search. of playing New York's real-
with an uncontrollable flow Essrog, at times donning the estate villains. In one fine
of words. In his intelligent, guise of a reporter, follows moment with a large map
engrossing and derivative a trail of clues that leads of New York behind him, he
adaptation of "Mother- him across the metropo- insists that he's not above
less Brooklyn," Edward Nor- lis and into a broad city the law, "I'm ahead of it."
ton has something tidier in hall conspiracy that rises To some, this well-known
mind. to the penthouse-heights history (there is also a Jane
Norton, who wrote, direct- of New York power. Along Jacobs-like figure protest-
ed, produced and stars the way are trips through a ing Randolph's brute-force
in the film, has shifted the not-yet-razed Penn Station, policies) is too familiar to be
story from the '90s to the a handsome Washington particularly intriguing. It's a
'50s, taking a then-con- Square Park and a pivotal little like a gumshoe wan-
temporary twist on an old Harlem jazz club (where dering into a text book.
genre and sending it back Michael K. Williams plays But not everyone is deep-
to its late-noir heyday, a trumpet player). He be- ly versed in Moses' over-
along with all the period- friends a black attorney, whelming imprint on New
appropriate trench coats, Laura Ross (Gugu Mbatha- York City.
automobiles and venetian Raw), who helps him real- And what makes "Mother-
blinds. Norton first sought ize the full scope of the cor- less Brooklyn" respectable
out the book more than 20 ruption revolving around and even novel is this graft-
years ago — this is a long- "slum clearance" policies of ing of social history onto a
time "passion project" final- redevelopment, and how genre tale. q

'Friday' actor-comedian John

Witherspoon dies at 77

played Ice Cube's father in pire in Brooklyn" and "Boo-
the "Friday" films, has died. merang," and he was a fre-
He was 77. quent guest on "Late Show
Witherspoon's family is- with David Letterman."
sued a statement to the For many, his most recog-
website Deadline saying nizable role was "Pops," Ice
that Witherspoon died Cube's father in the stoner
Tuesday in Los Angeles. comedy "Friday" and its
No cause of death was re- two sequels, a crude but
In this Dec. 21, 2009, file pho- leased. affectionate father trying
to, John Witherspoon leaves a
taping of "The Late Show with The actor had a prolific to guide his son to be bet-
David Letterman" in New York. career, co-starring in three ter.
Associated Press "Friday" films, appearing on "Life won't be as funny with-
"The Wayans Bros." televi- out him," Ice Cube said in
Associated Press sion series and voicing the a Twitter post late Tuesday,
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ac- grandfather in "The Boon- adding that he was dev-
tor-comedian John With- docks" animated series. His astated by news of Wither-
erspoon, who memorably film roles included "Vam- spoon's death.q