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#55 - Anomalisa
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, 2015
While staying at a hotel for a business conference, a middle-aged motivational speaker tries to form meaningful connections with other people.
Considering Charlie Kaufman's knack for creating stories that involve remarkable combinations of the surreal and the mundane, it's naturally going to be interesting to see what he does with the creative freedom offered by full-blown animation. Initially, Anomalisa seems like it doesn't really need to be animated as it sets up a down-to-earth story revolving around a neurotic schlub named Michael (voiced by David Thewlis) who has flown from Los Angeles to Cincinnati in order to deliver a seminar based on his best-selling self-help book. However, the reason for the stop-motion animation soon becomes very clear due to a problem with Michael's perception of reality. To him, every single individual he encounters appears to have the exact same face and voice regardless of their age or gender (with the voice in question being provided by veteran character actor Tom Noonan). Michael checks into his hotel and putters around, occasionally attempting to forge connections with people like his family back home or an old flame who he hasn't seen in years. However, when he hears a timid woman named Lisa (voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh) over the multitude of Noonan sound-alikes, he is inspired to find her and reach out to her.
If you're in any way familiar with Kaufman's previous creations, then you have a pretty good idea what to expect from both the story and the way in which it's told. The usual elements are here - outwardly pathetic protagonist, frequently awkward conversations, everyday occurrences depicted as soul-crushingly as possible, idealistic romanticism being brutally undercut, and of course an undercurrent of surrealism that bleeds into the plot as necessary. Of course, the talent on display is enough to keep things fresh in this particular variation on Kaufman's favourite themes. Thewlis makes for an appropriately beat-down lead whose quest for a human connection is sympathetic but frequently misguided, with his worn-out performance being accentuated by his nasal British accent. Leigh also delivers a delightfully understated performance as a woman who struggles with the idea that someone might find her not just attractive but also fascinating, making for a warmly emotional centre to an otherwise comically cold film. Noonan, meanwhile, may not seem like he's doing a whole lot as he uses the exact same voice for dozens of characters but his continued presence is vital to the film's atmosphere and his deadpan line readings on a variety of subjects definitely grants the film a lot of energy in terms of both comedy and drama.
Anomalisa may not do anything exceptionally revolutionary when it comes to probing the same thematic territory that Kaufman has been staking out for years, but it still manages to provide enough new material to justify its existence. It makes good use of the medium in telling its story and illustrating its thematic concerns. The more obvious imperfections in the generally-impressive character models and sets not only set up a variety of significant moments, but they also play into the film's treatment of the concept of perfection and whether or not chasing it is fundamentally futile. The characteristically bizarre world-building on display also keeps one's attention going throughout the film even as the film seems to rush its third act and conclude rather abruptly. Still, I suppose I'd rather have that than a film that wears out its welcome. As a result, I'm not inclined to think of Anomalisa as some sort of ground-breaking masterpiece, but it is definitely a solid piece of work that doesn't feel like a major drop-off from what audiences have come to expect from Kaufman.
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, 2015
While staying at a hotel for a business conference, a middle-aged motivational speaker tries to form meaningful connections with other people.
Considering Charlie Kaufman's knack for creating stories that involve remarkable combinations of the surreal and the mundane, it's naturally going to be interesting to see what he does with the creative freedom offered by full-blown animation. Initially, Anomalisa seems like it doesn't really need to be animated as it sets up a down-to-earth story revolving around a neurotic schlub named Michael (voiced by David Thewlis) who has flown from Los Angeles to Cincinnati in order to deliver a seminar based on his best-selling self-help book. However, the reason for the stop-motion animation soon becomes very clear due to a problem with Michael's perception of reality. To him, every single individual he encounters appears to have the exact same face and voice regardless of their age or gender (with the voice in question being provided by veteran character actor Tom Noonan). Michael checks into his hotel and putters around, occasionally attempting to forge connections with people like his family back home or an old flame who he hasn't seen in years. However, when he hears a timid woman named Lisa (voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh) over the multitude of Noonan sound-alikes, he is inspired to find her and reach out to her.
If you're in any way familiar with Kaufman's previous creations, then you have a pretty good idea what to expect from both the story and the way in which it's told. The usual elements are here - outwardly pathetic protagonist, frequently awkward conversations, everyday occurrences depicted as soul-crushingly as possible, idealistic romanticism being brutally undercut, and of course an undercurrent of surrealism that bleeds into the plot as necessary. Of course, the talent on display is enough to keep things fresh in this particular variation on Kaufman's favourite themes. Thewlis makes for an appropriately beat-down lead whose quest for a human connection is sympathetic but frequently misguided, with his worn-out performance being accentuated by his nasal British accent. Leigh also delivers a delightfully understated performance as a woman who struggles with the idea that someone might find her not just attractive but also fascinating, making for a warmly emotional centre to an otherwise comically cold film. Noonan, meanwhile, may not seem like he's doing a whole lot as he uses the exact same voice for dozens of characters but his continued presence is vital to the film's atmosphere and his deadpan line readings on a variety of subjects definitely grants the film a lot of energy in terms of both comedy and drama.
Anomalisa may not do anything exceptionally revolutionary when it comes to probing the same thematic territory that Kaufman has been staking out for years, but it still manages to provide enough new material to justify its existence. It makes good use of the medium in telling its story and illustrating its thematic concerns. The more obvious imperfections in the generally-impressive character models and sets not only set up a variety of significant moments, but they also play into the film's treatment of the concept of perfection and whether or not chasing it is fundamentally futile. The characteristically bizarre world-building on display also keeps one's attention going throughout the film even as the film seems to rush its third act and conclude rather abruptly. Still, I suppose I'd rather have that than a film that wears out its welcome. As a result, I'm not inclined to think of Anomalisa as some sort of ground-breaking masterpiece, but it is definitely a solid piece of work that doesn't feel like a major drop-off from what audiences have come to expect from Kaufman.