Anomalisa
Composite Score: 81.27
Starring: David Thewlis (voice), Jennifer Jason Leigh (voice), and Tom Noonan (voice)
Directors: Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman
Writer: Charlie Kaufman
Genres: Animation, Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and language
Box Office: $5.66 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Anomalisa is a Claymation film for adults about a man living a highly mundane life – exemplified by all characters that are not him having the same face and the same voice – who then meets a woman that offers an escape from his boredom. The story relates to anyone who finds themselves trapped in a routine and wants an escape. It strongly critiques Michael’s (the main character) mindset and approach to others in a way that challenges the viewer to seek the individuality within the people in their lives. It presents an approach to happiness that encourages watchers to appreciate the little moments of excitement as they come.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Being completely honest, this is a very graphic film in terms of sexual content. I don’t often write about sexual content warnings, but this film contains a fairly intimate and graphic Claymation sex scene that could easily make viewers uncomfortable if they aren’t prepared for it. I will also say that it is not some idealized showing of sex for the sake of sex. It is meant to represent the connection that Michael is seeking and the flawed way that he seeks it out – take that as you will.
My other big issue with the film is tied to that scene. The sexual encounter between Michael and Lisa seems to be at least slightly coerced by Michael. It is clear that both characters are drunk going into the scene and that Michael encourages Lisa to continue drinking, presumably to get loose for more evening activities. It takes the already mildly problematic figure of Michael and makes him even more problematic. While I recognize that Michael is not necessarily meant to be a positive figure or a role model, the situation could easily be triggering to certain audience members and I just want to communicate that here.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Making a Claymation film for adults is a fascinating idea, whose ingenuity makes Anomalisa worth watching. The attention to detail, the framing of the shots, and the amount of time and effort that were clearly put into the animation process are apparent throughout the film. There are some really good 4th wall breaks referencing the animation during some of Michael’s more manic episodes, which highlight the importance of making this film in the way that it was, not simply as a live-action character study.
Another excellent choice is the voicing of all characters that are not Michael or Lisa by one actor – Tom Noonan. The choice becomes immediately apparent in the opening scene and draws the audience into the same sense of bewildered monotony that Michael seems to be experiencing. Tom Noonan’s voice is incredibly generic and plays very comedically as Michael’s son and the various female characters in the film, while still inflecting enough to create differentiated characters.
The dive into monotony, routine, and the desire for happiness and something different is the poignant theme throughout the film that makes it relatable to most audiences. Michael’s frustration with monotony is relatable, as is his desire to seek out new experiences and individuals. What makes the film stand out beyond that relatability is its choice to call out what makes people experience monotony, namely our own lack of investment into people, jobs, relationships, et cetera when we turn them into routines. There is a very clear sense that, while Michael’s predicament is relatable and common, it does not have to be, nor should it be, the norm for living. We find over the course of the film that Michael’s problems do not stem from any particular source other than, apparently, his own mind and perception of the universe, calling into question the audience’s own sense of boredom and monotony. It leaves the watcher with a desire to invest in relationships and the events of life so as to hopefully avoid becoming another Michael.
Anomalisa certainly belongs in a list of Greatest Films of all time thanks to its ingenuity in animation, its creative storytelling and casting decisions, and the bleak yet hopeful portrayal of life and the potential for connection therein. Such an inclusion should not come without something of a content warning that certain aspects of it could make audience members uncomfortable and could be triggering for some. For most though, this film is definitely a meaningful exploration of our need for true connection as humans and the flaws that we must overcome in achieving that connection.
