Ed Norton's performance in Motherless Brooklyn brings to mind his roles in Primal Fear and The Score. In those earlier films, he portrayed a killer disguised as someone with a speech impediment, and a thief pretending to have a mental disability; here, he plays Lionel Essrog, a private investigator living with Tourette’s syndrome. The significant difference is that Lionel genuinely experiences Tourette's, unlike the deceptive performances in Primal Fear and The Score, where characters use calculated appearances of weakness to achieve hidden goals—a tactic reminiscent of Sun Tzu. In Motherless Brooklyn, there isn’t this element of manipulation; Lionel’s condition is authentic. While Norton delivers a performance that is characteristic of his abilities, it unfortunately becomes more of an obstacle than an asset for the character, the actor, the film itself, and even the audience. The movie contains enough material to sustain two separate stories, and Norton—who also serves as writer, producer, and director—failed to sufficiently edit it. Perhaps he should have been as involved in the editing process as he was with American History X, rather than entrusting that responsibility to Joe Klotz, whose work seems unremarkable. One narrative could focus on a man managing Tourette’s alongside his job and relationships. The other, which doesn't require the Tourette's element, is a murder mystery spanning from Harlem jazz clubs to Brooklyn slums and the homes of wealthy individuals. Norton would have been better off concentrating on the initial story, first because of the nuanced humor he brings to his portrayal. Second, because Tourette’s isn’t the film’s only problem; the plot—such as it is—is a lackluster intrigue about urban renewal and housing relocation. It's difficult to take an urban planner seriously as a villain, even with Alec Baldwin in the role, outside of a silly 1980s comedy where characters must save a senior center from demolition to make room for parking – this plot point is simply irredeemable. Baldwin isn’t the only talented actor whose skills are squandered here. Ethan Suplee, Dallas Roberts, and Leslie Mann appear briefly to advance the story before disappearing; their roles, especially Mann's, could have been conveyed through some brief explanations instead. At least Bruce Willis has the courtesy of dying after initiating the film’s events. Motherless Brooklyn demonstrates greater ambition than Norton’s previous directorial effort, Keeping the Faith, which was also his debut. However, the downside is that he remains a stronger actor than director and screenwriter. His performance is impeccable, yet it doesn't change the fact that his character's storyline feels overstuffed. Ultimately, the film would be neither improved nor diminished by the inclusion of Tourette’s syndrome, leaving us with an extended movie that outstays its welcome, only occasionally rising above average quality thanks to Willem Dafoe’s short but memorable appearances. Unlike Norton, Dafoe is capable of conveying mental instability with subtlety—not through a speech impediment, but in his tone, not in his appearance, but in his gaze. He builds tension gradually until it reaches a climax that is both beautiful and frightening. His character is the most fully realized in the film, likely due to Dafoe’s contribution more than Norton's.

Source on TMDB