Mortdecai / Don't Point That Thing at Me

The Book

The first in a trilogy, Don't Point That Thing at Me, is told in the first person by eccentric, aristocratic art dealer Charlie Mortdecai. He has a witty, upper-class turn of phrase which is the main delight in this tale of art theft, murder and evasion from both the authorities and criminals. The comparison with P G Wodehouse is strong, with references to Bertie Wooster made by the author. Mortdecai also has a man-servant who helps him out of predicaments, but Jock Strapp (one of a few puerile puns), although loyal, is a dense heavy with no mirror to Jeeves.
There is a plot but it was difficult to keep tabs on it. As Mortdecai himself says "If I have not always made clear the rationale of these events, it is partly because you are probably better at that sort of thing than I am and partly because I confess myself quite bemused by finding that the events which I thought I was controlling were in fact controlling me."



So our stiff-upper lipped, whisky sodden, lecherous portly old man lurches from one misadventure to the next. The ending was quite unexpected and the reader is left with the impression that Mortdecai is going to be gunned down after having been flushed from his hiding hole - brought low as a result of all his bad deeds - "..this is, after all, quite a moral tale. You see that, don't you?"
It makes you want to read the next in the series, to see how he can possibly escape.



Official movie site   

Johnny Depp's portrayal of Mortdecai borrows heavily from Paul Whitehouse's characters in the Fast Show - Roly Birkin QC and The 13th Duke of Wybourne - which is why he is given a role as cockney Italian Spinoza in the film.

The film plot contains elements of the book but is a riff on the story - for example Mortdecai does not have a wife at the beginning. It doesn't really matter, however, as its an enjoyable farce that doesn't take itself seriously with plummy accents and a running joke over Mortdecai's moustache causing a gag reflex. It has a great soundtrack of music that feels like a 60s action movie and the action and gags are continual.

It avoids the rather downbeat and unhappy ending of the book for one that sits much better for the light, enjoyable froth that this is.