“Normal” follows the new sheriff of a small town in Minnesota, who uncovers a dark secret while investigating a botched bank robbery.
There’s some fun to be had within “Normal,” but the film is weighed down by its very, very… very messy (and boring) first half. Spoiler warning: nothing happens. Even with just a 90-minute runtime, the first 45 minutes prove to be devoid of anything coherent.
The early stages showcase Sheriff Ulysses’ everyday life, where ordinary things occur. Wrong deliveries, storefront confrontations and neighborly disputes fill up the beginning of “Normal.” And while it sets up an “odd” town dynamic, it spends way too much time doing so. Redundancy is something that should come with time, but it’s immediate here. The film doesn’t have enough material to fill the feature length, growing stale extremely quickly because of this.
Narration is heavily used in “Normal,” specifically with Ulysses speaking to his wife (who is never shown) about his life. Rather than providing useful information, the film gets bogged down with unneeded lore. Small town. Temporary sheriff gig. Wants to keep a low profile. All of these facets could be explained naturally; instead, they’re forced by having Bob Odenkirk ramble about the obvious. As the film progresses, the narration proves to be overused rather than acting like the tool it should be.
Odenkirk (Sheriff Ulysses) delivers a serviceable, yet uninspired, performance. It’s not bad. It’s also much of the same. Coming off “Nobody” and “Nobody 2,” the “everyday man turns killer” character has become his schtick. Odenkirk is never able to distinguish this protagonist from his previous work, coming across as a sort of rip-off in the process.
“Normal” over-relies on Odenkirk’s talents. While his charm can make up for many faults, Odenkirk doesn’t have the star power to “save” a movie. More often than not, he’s asked to do that here. It may be growing stale at this point, but it’s still at least some fun seeing Odenkirk “kick butt.”
Henry Winkler (Mayor of Normal) also appears. Much like Odenkirk, however, he really doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It’s entertaining seeing Odenkirk and Winkler banter, though — no matter how short-lived it may be. Other notable performances come from Jess McLeod (Alex), Billy MacLellan (Mike Nelson) and Ryan Allen (Blaine Anderson).
“Normal” has no clear sense of morality, and it’s a confusing viewing experience at times because of this. There are clear “bad guys.” The “good guys,” however, are… bank robbers (also arguably animal abusers) and drunk drivers? The movie falls directly into the anti-hero stereotype, except it attempts to do this for almost all of the surviving cast members. While redemption arcs sometimes work, they feel unearned here.
Tones clash more often than not as well. At times, “Normal” functions as a ground-level, gritty thriller. Eventually, it turns into full-blown action. There’s also an abundance of attempted comedy mixed in. Unfortunately, the jokes almost never land. Director Ben Wheatley struggles to decide whether he wants to maintain realism or go all-in on fantasy. The film tends to choose the latter.
Despite growing more “generic” by the minute, “Normal” does feature impressive set pieces. Explosions and gunfire are plentiful, with a number of memorable moments that feature bodies flying in every direction. Director of photography Armando Salas captures these intense scenes well. Shot on 35mm film, it also has more of an old-school aesthetic that makes the visuals different from most modern action flicks.
When punches are thrown and strikes are landed, you can truly feel it. Not only is this from Salas’ work, but also from Jonathan Amos’ editing and the sound design. Choppy editing oftentimes plagues action sequences — not here. Instead, it complements Salas’ constantly moving camerawork by keeping the momentum rather than stalling.
“Normal” lacks originality. Action is present, but a compelling story is not. It’s another version of “Nobody” without the freshness of it.
Rating: 2 out of 5
