Anomalisa fails as entertainment, art, and storytelling
By Kaely Monahan
Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa is an ambitious film that completely misses the mark. It has the appearance of something whimsical and odd. At first glance looks like something that might have come from Wes Anderson. Sadly it is not and it utterly fails as entertainment. It even fails as an informative or thought-provoking piece of art. Anomalisa grasps at large and fundamental concepts but doesn’t reach them.
The film follows the story of disenchanted sales guru Michael Stone. As this is a claymation, or perhaps more correctly a “felt-mation,” the lead is voiced by David Thewlis.
Emotionally constipated and clearly depressed, Michael drifts through the world where everyone is the same. This is hammered home by the fact that one man voices every other character in his world. Tom Noonan is required to be everything from the PA announcement in the airport to the cab driver, to Michael’s son.
It’s a clever concept that animation is well suited for, but it is the only detail that proves such, and over time as the story failed to progress into anything of interest, the concept proved irritating. (Perhaps that is the point.)
Michael is clearly having some sort of crisis — mid-life or otherwise.
During a business trip to Cincinnati, Ohio. Michael continues to spiral into the depths of despair as he seeks some connection to bring him back to himself. He calls up an ex in an attempt to find out “what went wrong.” Selfishly it wasn’t that he needed a resolution about why their relationship went south, but rather what is wrong with him. After all, Michael is married and has a son. Clearly his life wasn’t that horrible after the breakup.
It is a terribly mediocre start as the film is so slow going as to be like treacle dripping down a tree. By the time anything remotely interesting happens that sap can crystallize and become amber. The plot does take a promising turn when Michael hears a new voice. In a moment where he felt like he was going insane, her voice draws him back and he chases her down to make sure she is real.
She is, and her name is Lisa Hesselman, voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Captivated and filled with lust to hear her voice, Michael takes Lisa and her friend out for drinks. There is a moment when the film looks like it won’t take the predictable turn. Michael is clearly enamored with Lisa’s voice. The film reaches for the higher more pure form of adoration and love. But the filmmakers take the easy way out instead of exploring the higher concept of love. There is a pointless sex scene that doesn’t add anything to the story — not that there was much of anything going on.
The morning after Michael decides he must run away with Lisa. She has made him come back to life. She’s game, but he starts to notice all the small things that are annoyances, such as how she clicks her fork against her teeth or talks with her mouth full. As he nitpicks her, her voice starts to morph and sound like everybody else.
The terrifying transformation leads to Michael to question his reality once more. In the climax of the film he meltdowns in the middle of the conference, he is speaking at. It isn’t much of a climax and it is more uncomfortable to watch than anything else.
There was so much in this film that had potential. Ideas of depression, possible mental illness, loneliness, true love — they all are pointed at but not explored. Instead, the audience is left with a very dry and incredibly slow story about a selfish man who doesn’t change but ends up right where he started. There were many opportunities for charm and whimsy that just weren’t explored. That aside there just wasn’t much of a story here at all. In the end, nothing really happened.
• Contact writer: 480-898-5629 or kmonahan@getoutaz.com.
Originally published Jan. 11, 2016 on getoutaz.com.
The film follows the story of disenchanted sales guru Michael Stone. As this is a claymation, or perhaps more correctly a “felt-mation,” the lead is voiced by David Thewlis.
Emotionally constipated and clearly depressed, Michael drifts through the world where everyone is the same. This is hammered home by the fact that one man voices every other character in his world. Tom Noonan is required to be everything from the PA announcement in the airport to the cab driver, to Michael’s son.
It’s a clever concept that animation is well suited for, but it is the only detail that proves such, and over time as the story failed to progress into anything of interest, the concept proved irritating. (Perhaps that is the point.)
Michael is clearly having some sort of crisis — mid-life or otherwise.
During a business trip to Cincinnati, Ohio. Michael continues to spiral into the depths of despair as he seeks some connection to bring him back to himself. He calls up an ex in an attempt to find out “what went wrong.” Selfishly it wasn’t that he needed a resolution about why their relationship went south, but rather what is wrong with him. After all, Michael is married and has a son. Clearly his life wasn’t that horrible after the breakup.
It is a terribly mediocre start as the film is so slow going as to be like treacle dripping down a tree. By the time anything remotely interesting happens that sap can crystallize and become amber. The plot does take a promising turn when Michael hears a new voice. In a moment where he felt like he was going insane, her voice draws him back and he chases her down to make sure she is real.
She is, and her name is Lisa Hesselman, voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Captivated and filled with lust to hear her voice, Michael takes Lisa and her friend out for drinks. There is a moment when the film looks like it won’t take the predictable turn. Michael is clearly enamored with Lisa’s voice. The film reaches for the higher more pure form of adoration and love. But the filmmakers take the easy way out instead of exploring the higher concept of love. There is a pointless sex scene that doesn’t add anything to the story — not that there was much of anything going on.
The morning after Michael decides he must run away with Lisa. She has made him come back to life. She’s game, but he starts to notice all the small things that are annoyances, such as how she clicks her fork against her teeth or talks with her mouth full. As he nitpicks her, her voice starts to morph and sound like everybody else.
The terrifying transformation leads to Michael to question his reality once more. In the climax of the film he meltdowns in the middle of the conference, he is speaking at. It isn’t much of a climax and it is more uncomfortable to watch than anything else.
There was so much in this film that had potential. Ideas of depression, possible mental illness, loneliness, true love — they all are pointed at but not explored. Instead, the audience is left with a very dry and incredibly slow story about a selfish man who doesn’t change but ends up right where he started. There were many opportunities for charm and whimsy that just weren’t explored. That aside there just wasn’t much of a story here at all. In the end, nothing really happened.
• Contact writer: 480-898-5629 or kmonahan@getoutaz.com.
Originally published Jan. 11, 2016 on getoutaz.com.