Anomalisa (2015)

Anomalisa (2015) I was drawn to this because of the great writer, Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine, Being John Malkovich). Here was a story about an ordinary man who goes to Ohio (an ordinary place) on travel and things go very slightly strange. The fact this is an animated film took me by surprise. And I stayed with it, wondering over and over how it helped to have it animated. Here is a story about a subtle psychological crisis, and the real reactions and facial expressions of the main character (and others) seemed to me to be totally important. And here they were dumbed down to archetypes and simplifications. Oh, I know, the animators tried for subtlety but I'm not going to praise a film for being "really close" to the actual thing. Not with the actual thing would be better. However, there are elements to the film that eventually seem to require animation (though even this isn't convincing, I'll say right away). For one thing, nearly everyone's voice is the same kind of ordinary man's voice, even women. That might have been handled with dubbing. Then there are some cracks in the facade of realism that rely on animation, like people's faces have seams (or in one case coming apart). I think there might be ways to do this otherwise, but it's fine animated, too. But wait-what about this writing that I was so drawn to? Well, it's good. It's like seeing a lesser David Mamet play, knowing it's good but knowing there are some really amazing examples elsewhere. So I watched and listened and the crisis, which is of the most ordinary kind, unfolds and turns out to be something unfinished and unsatisfying. So, lots of hesitations here. A film with great potential. And maybe people who prefer (!) the nature of detached observation that the animation forces on is, and the style of it all, might get deeper in than I could.

While an adult stop-motion drama about a midlife crisis and mental illness may sound mundane as a concept, this is quite possibly Kaufman's sharpest and most absorbing film yet. Charlie Kaufman has already proved himself to be one of the smartest, most creative visionary directors/writers working today. He has yet to make an unoriginal film even as his vibrant style stretches over a career spanning 40 years. Anomalisa is certainly Kaufman's tamest work when compared to the outlandish concepts of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, but it is also one of his most engaging. A grounded perception of mental illness affecting a lonely, middle-aged man in the centre of a richly-detailed, yet maddening, world. The concept will never sound as appealing as it really is, but upon viewing, the film's subtle messages on love and identity will surely resonate with any viewer, no matter their age. Even with an ending that hints upon a concept that I wish was further explored, Anomalisa expresses it's thought-provoking story through detailed character interactions, a wry script and brilliant voice performances from the extremely limited cast that had me daydreaming of the film's beauty long after watching.

Suitably nihilistic for Kaufman but with a much more straightforward presentation than his other films and therefore more accessible to a more casual audience.Tha animation is some of the best I have ever witnessed.Its a story of loneliness, despite being surrounded by people, and personal depression which will resonate with anyone who has ever felt an emptiness inside them.

In my reviews, I usually critique and obsess over story-line, cinematography, production design, and acting. And although I have good things to say about the voice acting and the beautiful (and to be honest, quite haunting) stop-motion, this review will be my anomaly. Because the characters in this movie deserve their own standing ovation. I watched Anomalisa not knowing what to expect, having never seen anything written by Charlie Kaufman before (I apologize to the hardcore Kaufman fans, but I promise after Anomalisa, it'll be hard to keep me away).And so I sat there while the movie folded out in front of me--It was so simple. Yet the entire time, I was taken aback at how REAL the characters were. Every little thing they said, every little thing they did, and every little thing they went through, I found it so easy to sympathize and relate to these characters who, just minutes before the movie started, had meant absolutely nothing to me. And for me, that was magical.I usually fall in love with the story of a movie. But here, the characters WERE the story. And they really weren't that special at all. But that's what made them the most beautiful.