To watch Anomalisa,
the viewer needs to be prepared to see an internal
fantasy world in which we observe the inner life of a frustrated, despairing
middle-aged man who feels that everyone he meets wants a part of him, and he
cannot find for himself the peace and contentment he craves. To accentuate the surreal qualities of
his existence, writer/director Charlie Kaufman in collaboration with animation
specialist/co-director Duke Johnson populate the film with puppets in stop-motion
animation. In bringing home a
specific point, only Michael Stone (Thewlis) and Lisa (Leigh) are voiced by the
actors; everyone else is voiced by Tom Noonan. It’s helpful to know beforehand that the film references the
Fregoli delusional disorder in which one imagines that everyone else is the
same person, and that person is against him. That Michael checks into the Fregoli Hotel sets up the
scenario. The experience is
illustrated early on in the film when the screen turns black and all we hear is
a cacophony of almost indistinguishable voices talking about the mundane.
Michael is a Brit now living in Los Angeles
with a wife and son and is on his way to Cincinnati where he is to give an
important speech. He is an expert
in customer relations and has written a book entitled, How May I Help You Help Them?
The man seated next to him on the plane, the taxi driver on the way to
the hotel, and the hotel attendants all chatter in banalities to which he
responds politely with gritted teeth.
Each one is indistinguishable from the other to him. He is clearly bored, and follows a
routine when he gets to his room.
Call wife who insists he talk to son, order room service, look over
speech, call old girlfriend.
Somehow, Michael, this expert in customer
relations (whose bottom half of his mask falls off in the hall at one point),
inevitably manages to offend (his real bitter self and intentions are revealed)
and he is ultimately left on his own, lonely and isolated. He does manage to engage two women
during the evening, and the story proceeds to show how Michael deals with
personal relationships, including his life at home. With little ability to introspect and learn, Michael continues
on in his existential misery, never understanding how to the bridge the gulf
that separates him from everyone.
Anomalisa has been a critical favorite in its
questions about the nature of identity and what it means to be human, to ache,
to be alive. It’s generally
considered to be a comedy. My
objection to it is its pessimistic, cynical point of view and the absence of any movement of the main
character out of his miserable condition.
Anomalisa, a film for Charlie Kaufman fans.
Grade: C By Donna
R. Copeland
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