Anomalisa

Charlie Kaufman’s films are definitely an acquired taste. Kaufman’s scripts for Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind certainly have both rabid fans as well as critics, despite a couple of them approaching cult-film status. His directorial debut Synecdoche, New York is also an immensely polarising film. In comparison, Kaufman’s latest film Anomalisa is less ambiguous and is his first foray into animation. 

A black screen, hundreds of voices (Tom Noonan) growing in volume. An Englishman, Michael Stone (David Thewlis) sits in a plane full of the same people, and no, they’re not all John Malkovich. He lands in Cincinnati, the Taxi driver recommends the Zoo. He arrives at the hotel, the bellboy takes his luggage. He calls home. He pours a drink. He rings an old flame. He smokes a cigarette. Life offers nothing new for Michael, that is at least, until he meets Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh). 

Anomalisa’s funding began on Kickstarter, promising a unique short-film that couldn’t be made as-is under the studio system. After raising nearly half a million on the platform, the film secured additional funding to be stretched out to near feature length. I should start by saying this film features some of the most extraordinary animation yet seen, incredibly lifelike and backed up with astounding cinematography. There are long-continuous shots where the camera follows the characters through doorways and around corridors, all of which would have required months of preparation and complex animation. The result is a surreal world that could only really exist in a Kaufman film. 

As I mentioned earlier, it’s probably the least unusual of his films. Having said that, Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson use the animation as part of the psychological disconnect that Michael has with his world, and thematically, Anomalisa touches on the correlations between the mundanity of life and the male ego. In essence, it’s about a man going through a mid-life crisis, who turns to adultery. Not an easy premise to sell to an audience, but Kaufman & Johnson are able to find empathy in Michael’s situation, where all the other inhabitants of his world look and sound the same, even his wife and child. Lisa, is the only other person like Michael and becomes his only hope of salvation.

These themes and their embodiments are executed as a darkly comedic look at older life in a bland face-value world, and there were many laugh out loud moments amongst the consistently giggle-worthy script. This is essentially Charlie Kaufman’s version of Lost in Translation. About half way through there is a rather intimate, realistic sex scene which I suppose verges on the side of soft-core porn - I mean, they’re only made of plastic at the end of the day - and that saw about ten people walk out of my screening. However I’d put that down to the cinema I saw it at, which in my experience attracts a pretentious type of audience that only seek out the oxymoronic concept of “safe” art-house films. It’s a rare occasion where I’m the most mature person in a room of pensioners. Also, if you’re going to walk-out of a film, don’t sit there chatting for about ten minutes before leaving, just go. Apologies if this has turned into a rant on cinema etiquette.

I have to give credit to Tom Noonan for playing handfuls and handfuls of different characters; somehow making them distinct, whilst still the same (that’s the best way that I can describe it). Jennifer Jason Leigh’s shy, soft-spoken Lisa is a far cry from her wicked Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight, and the immensely talented David Thewlis gives a dejected lead performance as Michael. The three actors carry the film immensely well, with some challenging scenes that just about always manage to strike the perfect balance between dark comedy and self-reflection. 

Anomalisa is a tragically-funny film that wants us to talk about the secret fear we all have of losing hope, losing interest, slipping into a mundane life where everybody melds into one. A significant portion of the film is devoted to developing this concept, and it ends abruptly just as you’re hankering for more. I’m not even sure if that’s a complaint, but as with any great Kaufman film, it’s likely you’ll leave in an introspective mood. This definitely deserves multiple viewings.