Anomalisa
Starring David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson
The brilliant, twisted mind of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman strikes again in the poignant stop-motion animated romantic drama Anomalisa.
Films are seldom as introspective and visually engaging as the tale of a depressed motivational speaker, named Michael Stone (Thewlis), who flies to Cincinnati to speak to a convention of customer service professionals. During his hotel stay, Stone becomes entranced with a baked goods sales rep (Leigh), who may just be the love of his life.
Thewlis and Leigh are utterly fantastic in their respective vocal roles, breathing genuine life and longing into each character, but it’s veteran character actor Tom Noonan who really shines as he voices multiple roles in different genders.
Kaufman’s screenplay anchors what could have been an extended gimmick with a thoughtful examination of the human psyche and the maudlin struggles of modern life. Anomalisa was brought to vivid, realistic life using 3D printer technology and painstaking stop-motion techniques. The director wanted the viewer to “forget they were looking at something animated and just get wrapped up in the scene.” The creative decision pays off in spades as the film is a new benchmark, not only for its technical achievements, but its level of emotional depth.
Though it may be animated, Anomalisa is not for kids; mature themes, coarse language, and even a sex scene aim the material squarely at a specific audience but Kaufman is so self-assured in his craft and vision that every element coalesces brilliantly; life and art have rarely imitated each other so beautifully.
