Few movies in recent memory have challenged the viewer to examine their own life and their choices. Presentation seems to have taken precedence over substance in recent years.

Amidst all the action movies and lackluster comedies, thought-provoking films like Jaco Van Dormael’s Mr. Nobody often slip under the radar.

Mr. Nobody, released in 2009, follows the life — or to be more accurate, various lives — of Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto).

Written by Van Dormael, Mr. Nobody highlights the impact of every small decision on our future. The movie, which follows a non-linear story, shows Nemo at various stages in his life, and how they would have occurred if he had made different choices as a child.

The story begins when nine-year-old Nemo has to choose between living with his mother or his father after their divorce, and constantly switches between several parallel universes.

Meanwhile in 2092, a 118-year-old Nemo is the last mortal human in a world where natural death is no longer a threat, and tries to figure out if he has lived the life that was meant for him.

A moderate amount of bewilderment is to be expected. The complex storyline of Mr. Nobody cannot be explained in a few sentences.
The movie opens up several individual plots within the first half hour, but brings them all together into a poetic ending.

The main idea on which the movie is based is that the choices we make determine the path our life takes, and until we make a decision, every outcome is a possibility.

The movie touches on several complex theories and ideas, ranging from the butterfly effect to parallel universes.

Van Dormael manages to open several individual plots within the movie, but more importantly, he does this without losing the viewer’s interest. By the end, we are introduced to at least four separate lives Nemo could lead, all of which spring from the scene in which he has to choose between his parents.

Mr. Nobody is a complex movie one could not hope to explain in a review. It has an engaging plot, a talented cast and a presentation that can hold the viewer’s attention through the movie, which runs for just under two and a half hours.

Few movies manage to linger on in your mind after you’ve watched them, but Mr. Nobody is sure to make you conscious of every decision you make, and remind you of the impact the smallest choices have on your life.