History Film / Mortdecai

* FriendInTheBlackMarket: Mortdecai is MI5's go-to consultant for art-related crimes, but they've got all of his own felonies on file to hold over his head to bully him into service.

* ChekhovsGun: The [[spoiler:insulting painted caricature of WinstonChurchill hanging in Charlie's den]] is initially used as a visual shorthand for just how serious a government agent Martland is, but later comes into play during the finale as the Mortdecais' [[spoiler:decoy of choice.]]

* OedipusComplex: Combined with ScrewYourself, Krampf wants the Goya because it reminds him of his mother who he believes he takes after in terms of looks. The subject of the painting is, incidentally, naked.

* FailOSuckyname: Charlie (not Charles) and Robin Mortdecai believe their first names to have been made plebeian by their mother in a puckishly subversive way to insult her husband.

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: The flashback scene showing Charlie, Johanna, and Alister at university clearly shows them in an American-style college dormitory of a type not really present in the UK, despite the fact that all three characters are British and therefore are (presumably) being educated at a UK institution.

* {{Greed}}: The cornerstone of the entire plot is that Bronwen [[spoiler:used her firsthand exposure to the lost Goya painting to create a replica which she intended to sell on the black market while claiming it was the real thing. Naturally, this attracted the attention of those that were far likelier to steal it from her than purchase it, resulting in her death.]] The worth of the painting itself creates a web of alliances, betrayals, thefts, and double dealings amongst the cast who either want to profit off of the masterpiece or to simply keep it for themselves.

->''"I won't beat about the bush, Mortdecai. You are clearly an awful man."''

* MisplacedNamesPoster: Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow's names are switched in the poster.

''Mortdecai'' is a 2015 comedy film based on the 1972 cult novel ''Don't Point That Thing At Me'' by Kyril Bonfiglioli. It stars Creator/JohnnyDepp, Creator/PaulBettany, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/EwanMcGregor, Creator/JeffGoldblum, and Creator/OliviaMunn.

* AdaptationalWimp: Charlie's literary counterpart is a WorldWar2 veteran and an expert in unarmed combat, sabotage, and "shooting people." His person in the film, while not harmless, isn't very well-versed in combat.

* AdaptationalWimp: Charlie's literary counterpart is a WorldWarII veteran and an expert in unarmed combat, sabotage, and "shooting people." His person in the film, while not harmless, isn't very well-versed in combat.

* FriendInTheBlackMarket: Mortdecai's is MI5's go-to consultant for art-related crimes, but they've got all of his own felonies on file to hold over his head to bully him into service.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Selling the Duchess of Wellington. As a lost masterpiece, it is undoubtedly priceless, but as a cultural artifact, it would be difficult to pawn off as going through official channels would get you arrested by the Spanish government and those rich and covetous enough on the black market would be likelier to just kill you to have it. [[spoiler:Goering's Swiss bank account]] adds an extra wrinkle due to how such a preposterous fortune would make one a target of immense suspicion and possibly even murderous intent. The movie's third act involve the Mortdecai's trying to TakeAThirdOption as they desperately need the money they could get from the item's worth, but are incapable of defending themselves from the baggage that comes with it.

* DecompositeCharacter: The film is based on several of the Charlie Mortdecai novels by Kyril Bonfiglioli, with the plot being sort of a composite of the first novel, ''Don't Point That Thing With Me'' as well as the unfinished final novel ''The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery''. In the first book, Mortdecai meets Johanna Krampf, the nymphomaniac wife of a wealthy American businessman, and is married to her in later installments. Johanna is characterized as pretending to be a BrainlessBeauty, and beneath the surface having ruthless and cunning traits. Here, Mortdecai is married to Johanna, who is cunning, but a rather different character, belonging to British high society. There is also a separate character, ''Georgina'' Krampf, the nymphomaniac ''daughter'' of a wealthy American businessman, who gets Book!Johanna's BrainlessBeauty facade and hidden untrustworthiness. Georgina also has elements of Krampf's son, Milton III, from the books. Particularly how she is also [[spoiler:party to her father's murder.]]

* DecompositeCharacter: The film is based on several of the Charlie Mortdecai novels by Kyril Bonfiglioli, with the plot being sort of a composite of the first novel, ''Don't Point That Thing With Me'' as well as the unfinished final novel ''The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery''. In the first book, Mortdecai meets Johanna Krampf, the nymphomaniac wife of a wealthy American businessman, and is married to her in later installments. Johanna is characterized as pretending to be a BrainlessBeauty, and beneath the surface having ruthless and cunning traits. Here, Mortdecai is married to Johanna, who is cunning, but a rather different character, belonging to British high society. There is also a separate character, ''Georgina'' Krampf, the nymphomaniac ''daughter'' of a wealthy American businessman, who gets Book!Johanna's BrainlessBeauty facade and hidden untrustworthiness.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Charlie might get Jock shot, partially frozen, and violently sick, but he draws the line at allowing one of his [[spoiler:fingers to be cut off by the triads.]] Partially subverted at the end as, while he willingly [[spoiler:hands the codes to Goering's Swiss bank account and the enormous Nazi fortune within]] to the authorities instead of keeping the money for himself, this in turn gives him a clear conscience to [[spoiler:keep the painting for himself instead of giving it back to Spain.]]

%% * {{Expy}}: The book series upon which it’s based has been compared to ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster''

* BattleButler: Jock, whom Charlie says is his manservant and thug in his voiceover after the opening scene in HongKong when Fang tries to welch on his Ming vase deal with Charlie.

%% * {{Expy}}: The book series upon which it’s based has been compared to ''JeevesAndWooster''

* {{Greed}}: The cornerstone of the entire plot is that Bronwen [[spoiler:used her firsthand exposure to the lost Goya painting to create a replica which she intended to sell on the black market while claiming it was the real thing. Naturally, this attracted the attention of those that were far likelier to steal it from her than purchase it, resulting in her death.]] The worth of the painting itself creates a web of alliances, betrayals, thefts, and double dealings amongst the cast who either want to profit the masterpiece or to simply keep it for themselves.

* GentlemanThief: As a sense and fledgling high-class conman, Charlie is technically a thief and his pedigree encourages him to try and act like a gentleman, but he only barely manages to qualify for this trope.