“Nobody” / Nobody
Genre Action
Directed by Ilya Naishuller
Cast: Bob Odenkirk (Hutch Mansell), Connie Nielsen (Becky Mansell), Christopher Lloyd (Hutch’s father), JP Manu (Darren), Alexei Serebryakov (Julian), RZA (Harry Mansell), Cage Munroe (Hutch’s son) and others .
Студии 87North, Eighty Two Films, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment
Release year 2021
Site IMDb
Bob Odenkirk, who swings his fists and shoots back from the bandits – this has never happened before, either on large or small screens. For an actor best known for his roles as a lawyer on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, this is a rather unexpected genre choice.
As Odenkirk himself says in an interview, the action role is very different from what he did in his entire film career. Previously, in addition to participating in the series, for 25 years Bob wrote jokes for the show Saturday Night Live, and all this time he was not particularly zealous with sports. Therefore, in order to prepare for the role in the film “Nobody”, Odenkirk devoted 2 whole years to physical training. By the way, his coach was the famous understudy Daniel Bernhardt, who also played in the action movie.
In the film “Nobody” the hero of Bob Odenkirk is an exemplary family man named Hutch, who is stuck in a routine without getting out. His fatigue from repetitive days is shown in cleverly edited weekdays that literally fly by in a matter of seconds, fitting into several shots of the same type.
The monotony can drive you crazy, but Hutch holds on. Exactly until the robbers break into his house, threatening with weapons. Intruders don’t do much harm, but they do trigger the emotions that the hero has been suppressing for so long. It turns out that Hutch is not at all the average father of two children, there is something frightening in his past, and it breaks out. The hero is finally happy to let off steam on those who deserve it, not suspecting that he thereby challenges the Russian crime boss.
The film was directed by the Russian Ilya Naishuller (directed by the action movie Hardcore Henry, and also shot the False Alarm video for the singer The Weeknd), who was chosen for the project by Bob Odenkirk himself. Probably, such cooperation in a certain way was reflected in the script of Derek Kolstad (by the way, Kolstad not only came up with the plot for all parts of John Wick, but was also involved in the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier).
The filmmakers pay quite a lot of attention to the presentation of Russian gangsters, especially the personality of the ringleader Julian – a sociopath with money and connections, who is in charge of the “common fund” (this word will sound so absurdly often that it will practically become a separate character on a level with other rabid crime bosses) . But that’s not all, to show all the crazy facets of Julian (played by Alexei Serebryakov), you will have to watch him dance to Russian songs from the 90s. Well, then he will finally lose his temper, and the time will come for a real showdown.
The reaction of such criminal authorities is quite predictable, so on the big screen it is much more interesting to watch how the hero of Bob Odenkirk loses his temper, who until then was the embodiment of restraint and calmness. When he enters the fight, the work of the creators of John Wick (David Leitch is involved as a producer) becomes visible, although with less impressive staging of action scenes, but with a new approach to capturing certain details, such as how the camera slows down , fixing the flying weapon.
To stop comparing with John Wick, it is worth saying that the Odenkirk character has its advantages: he misses the past and gradually reveals the truth about himself (alas, no one hears him – simply because he is no longer breathing) and quite logically throws all forces to protect his family, which is now in danger.
Thanks to Odenkirk, the hero remains down to earth and more or less real (but unkillable), even when he single-handedly destroys mercenaries in his kitchen. Further, he will expand the territory of action, turning into an adult and serious version of Kevin McCallister. True, he will not be alone at home, he will be joined by his father, played by Christopher Lloyd (Back To The Future). His appearance is the most pleasant bonus of the film, especially at the moments when Lloyd, despite his age, famously shoots back from the bandits.
The film “Nobody” lasts only an hour and a half, does not sag to the finale and in every possible way encourages sympathy for the main character, who not only protects his family, but also stands up for potential victims.
Pros: Bob Odenkirk in a new role; witty montage of weekdays; the appearance of Christopher Lloyd in arms; interesting action Cons: the film devotes quite a lot of time to the presentation of Russian bandits and their “common fund” Conclusion:
an action movie from the screenwriter and producer of John Wick, in which the main character is an exemplary family man who knows how to deal with criminal authorities.
