Riveting animated story of lost love in Anomalisa
By Pablo Suarez
POINTS: 8
Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards, Anomalisa, the exquisite new film by Charlie Kaufman — co-directed with Duke Johnson — is one of the saddest, most utterly touching examinations on why falling in love doesn’t usually lead to a relationship with true commitment and stability. It’s also about why falling in love doesn’t mean experiencing love in its deepest sense. What happens when the initial spark fades? Why is it that once love is found, it can instantly turn into a threat for those afraid of stirring feelings? Could it be that love is just a fleeting emotion?
In tune with his gloomy perspective as a screenwriter in Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York (which he also directed), Kaufman this time goes for a riveting animated feature which is filled with aching drama — even if it occasionally is peppered by elements of comedy to make it easier to digest, without ever being naive.
The story goes pretty much like this: Michael is a middle-aged author sunk in tedium and depression who arrives in Cincinnati to give a lecture on his line of work: Customer Service. A subtle irony lies in the fact that Michael may very well know how to please customers and thus increase the status of a given company, and yet he’s totally lost when it comes to recognizing what his own soul is craving. What’s even more discouraging is that he’s equally at odds when trying to understand the needs and wants of those he loves. Better said, of those he thinks he loves.
Upon arrival, he attempts to meet an old flame and while the meeting does take place, the outcome is far from satisfying. It is then when he stumbles on Lisa and Emily, two women who are pretty fond of his work and have come to Cincinnati exclusively to attend his presentation. Michael is infatuated with Lisa’s gentle voice and so a sparkle of optimism appears. Far from pretty and with a scar on her face, Lisa can’t believe she’s the object of his desire — she says people usually like Emily. What follows is yet another story of repetition of facing the inability to live with deep affections. To Michael, love is a mere anomaly, this time embodied in Lisa, thence Anomalisa.
One of the things that makes Kaufman’s new outing so special is the outstanding stop motion animation that renders the characters’ movements quite realistically. Secondly, there’s the great job done with their voices. No wonder: Michael is voiced by British actor David Thewlis, Lisa is done by Jennifer Jason Leigh, and every single other character in the film, male and female, is voiced by Tom Noonan. Then there’s a smart use of a palette that favours warm and welcoming colours, although the resulting contrast with the cold drama brings an unnerving feeling to the scenario. And the well-paced editing keeps the story flowing at a very appropriate rhythm. The melancholic version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun sung by Lisa, which instantly mesmerizes Charlie, is just an unexpected bonus.
It could be argued that once Kaufman makes his point, the film becomes a bit repetitive — and I’m not sure this is voluntary. Or that part of the final act loses momentum and feels somewhat automatic. The ending surely is meant to be abrupt and it makes sense with Michael’s refusal to allow feelings to blossom, but it still doesn’t have the same emotional resonance the movie had so far.
These are the flaws within an overall accomplished feature that calls for second viewings to grasp some of the layers that are hard to see at first glance. Do so and you won’t be disappointed. Plus you may enjoy it more than the first time. Which is a rare thing, since many Academy Awards films tend to be more linear and far less challenging. So let’s welcome this much-needed exception.
Production notes
Anomalisa (US, 2015). Directed by Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson. Written by Charlie Kaufman. With David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan. Cinematography: Joe Passarelli. Editing: Garret Elkins. Running time: 90 minutes.
@pablsuarez
