He is the mind behind some of cinema’s most creative and original films, such as 1999’s Being John Malkovich, 2002’s Adaptation, and 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – now, screenwriter-turned-director Charlie Kaufman is back with his second feature film, Anomalisa. In similar Kaufman fashion, the protagonist is a middle-aged cynic crippled by the mundanity of modern life, only to come to life when a stranger opens his eyes and ears to the beauty of human connection, if only for a moment.
Michael Stone (David Thewlis) is a customer service businessman, unhappy while constantly traveling to speaking engagements across the country. As the author of a highly successful book detailing the way to victory in the field, Stone finds himself a semi-celebrity, ever-reluctantly. Despite his outward successes, the married father of one longs for more – something, anything, to snap him out of his melancholy existence. Everyone he meets literally looks and sounds the same, a clever ruse in which the third billed Tom Noonan voices every other character (credited as “Everyone Else”). It’s on a trip to Cincinnati when everything changes, when he meets the quirky Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), different from anyone he has ever met, with a liveliness that awakens a passion inside him that he had long thought was gone. Together, Michael and Lisa embark on a personal journey of love and heartbreak that makes for one unforgettable experience.
Despite the inherently childlike quality of a stop-motion animated film, Anomalisa is definitely not for children. The animated format includes adult subject matter, including scenes of sexual content, which only serve to highlight the film’s mature themes.
‘Anomalisa’ is a transfixing, thoughtful, and touching film that goes deep into the viewer’s psyche and stirs up emotions of introspective thought.
The stop-motion production is a marvel, taking a full day’s work for animators to create just two seconds worth of screen time. Because of the tedious nature of the job and close attention to detail, no second in Anomalisa is wasted. The quirky mannerisms exhibited by everyday people that otherwise go unnoticed in daily life are so carefully captured here, playing as some of the film’s most inspired laughs. Composer Carter Burwell creates a minimal but beautiful soundtrack to emphasize Michael’s desires, resonating with and affecting all.
Kaufman originally penned this longing-for-love story for the stage (released under the pseudonym Francis Fregoli) and cast David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan to be his principal, and only, actors. With growing interest of turning this “sound play” into a film, Kaufman hesitated, afraid that the movie adaptation would lose authenticity. Those who backed the film’s production on Kickstarter had other thoughts, however, as the film raised over $400,000 of its $200,000 goal and proved that the interest was there and ready. With support from Starburns Industries and co-director Duke Johnson, Kaufman recruited his original cast of three to create the film.
Anomalisa is a transfixing, thoughtful, and touching film that goes deep into the viewer’s psyche and stirs up emotions of introspective thought. Critics are highly praising the film’s ability to transcend reality. Anomalisa has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, and there is no doubt that Kaufman’s latest masterpiece stands out as one of the year’s best.
Anomalisa opens with a limited release at the Landmark on December 30. Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language.
