Though the spotlight isn’t always directly on them—women are often the catalysts who propel some of Hollywood’s most enticing stories forward. Based on Jonathan Lethem’s 1999 novel of the same name, Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s latest feature, Motherless Brooklyn, is a compelling crime drama with a film noir tone. After falling in love with the story and its characters, actor/director Edward Norton decided to put his own twist on Lethem’s gritty Brooklyn.
Moving the story from 1999—Norton sets his tale in the 1950s. The actor/director stars as Lionel “Brooklyn” Essrog, a private investigator struggling with Tourette syndrome who is taken under the wing of Frank Minna (Bruce Willis). However, when Minna is murdered it’s up to Lionel to piece together what happened. His quest to uncover the truth leads him to ruthless New York City planner, Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin) and a Harlem lawyer/activist Laura Rose (Mbatha-Raw).
Ahead of the film’s release STYLECASTER sat down to chat with Mbatha-Raw about diving into this compelling story, working with this incredible cast that also includes Leslie Mann, Willem Dafoe, Michael K. Williams, and Bobby Cannavale–and why her character just might hold the key to unpacking this mystery.
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Image: Cierra Miller/STYLECASTER.