Minamata film review – Johnny Depp shines in muddled drama
The name Minamata may not be familiar to most, but the Johnny Depp-produced film is based on a shocking true story.
In the early 70s, W. Eugene Smith (played here by Depp), an influential photojournalist for Life Magazine, is brought out of substance-addled seclusion by Japanese translator Aileen (Minami). She tells him about Minamata, a city in Japan whose citizens are falling ill to Mercury poisoning and a neurological disorder dubbed Minamata disease, all linked to dangerous chemical being pumped into the water supply by a large company in the area. Shocked by what he sees, Smith risks personal and professional relationships in order to get the story to the world.
Every awards season, there is at least one film about an American who discovers atrocities that are occurring in another country, ignored by their own government. As such, Minamata has a raft of cliches available, all of which it uses to try and force an emotional reaction. The result can be mawkish at times, a procession of suffering people and snarling men in suits. Luckily, some good casting lifts it beyond basic heart-string pulling.
It’s a bit of an understatement to say any discussion about Johnny Depp has become complicated. Ten years ago, this might have considered an awards contender given his pull in Hollywood, but matters away from the screen have meant his recent releases have been low key affairs. Director Andrew Levitas himself accused the film’s American distributor of “burying” the film due to headlines about the actor.
Taken in isolation, his performance features a lot of the subtle power of his early work, albeit with a weariness comes with the character’s age. An abrasive, mumbling introduction suggests a rehash of roles from the past, but his roughness leads to an interesting portrait of the war photographer. We see Smith as someone haunted by the things he’s seen, who doesn’t know how to handle life when not viewed through a lens. One particular moment, where he teaches a traumatised Aileen to channel her energy into getting the right shot, is as good as anything he has done in years. Even in quiet moments, such as gentle singing to a woman suffering from the disease, show an actor who can judge a scene perfectly.
The rest of the cast are hampered by a lazy script. Bill Nighy plays Smith’s irate editor who looks and sounds like every newspaper or magazine editor ever portrayed on film, while singer Katherine Jenkins appears in a surprisingly slight role as one of the magazine’s staff. Minami is solid as the woman who guides Smith through the atrocity, and while their romantic connection never really takes flight she adds pathos to what otherwise would have been a series of sad, disconnected images.
As a chronicle of real-life events, Minamata plays things quite too safe to get the sort of impact it is hoping for. However, an experienced star like Depp ensures that we can comprehend the pain of a life capturing humanity at its worst.
Minamata is in cinemas from 13th August.