Michael Stone, author of a hugely popular book on Customer Service, checks into a hotel in Cincinnati where he is to speak in a conference the next day. All characters around him – men and women, even his wife and son seem to have the same voice and looks. While having a shower in his room, he hears a distinctly different voice in the hallway and frantically searches for the owner of the voice – Lisa. Now does a refreshing Lisa have any impact on Michael’s life?
Language:
English
Running Time:
90 min
Rating:
R
Release date:
30 December 2015
Directed by:
Charlie Kaufman
Duke Johnson
Produced by:
Rosa Tran
Duke Johnson
Charlie Kaufman
Dino Stamatopoulos
Written by:
Charlie Kaufman
Based on:
Anomalisa by
Charlie Kaufman
Starring:
David Thewlis
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Tom Noonan
Music by:
Carter Burwell
Shot by:
Joe Passarelli
Editing by:
Garret Elkins
Distributed by:
Paramount Pictures

What’s Hot

  • The core of the story is such a universally prevalent condition of disinterest towards the outer world arising from decades of self-indulgence. Charlie Kaufman, builds on top of it, an engaging experience with no assumptions, preaching or decisive conclusions – just pure emotional encounters faced by the central character, which have psychological scars tagged to them!
  • Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, the co-directors of the movie are to be appreciated for standing the neutral ground with their narrative. After building an air of empathy around Michael Stone’s character, the whiplash they provide with the revelation of Lisa’s transformation in the eyes of Michael, is truly masterful and painfully realistic.
  • The stop motion animation using 3D puppets provides an inclusive visual comprehension of the mood in which the movie progresses. The art direction stands out in each frame with the level of detailing provided and the pin point accuracy achieved as the animation traverses through each frame – instrumental in blurring the line between reality and animation.
  • The voices lent to the characters, a crucial to this story more than to any animated movie for its coupled with the core plot. The voice of the non-distinct clones that Michael Stone interacts with is rendered by Tom Noonan is an apt choice to reflect the disinterest borne by Michael. Jenifer Jason Leigh lends her alluring voice to Lisa, which is equally effective to break the monotony by capturing Michael’s attention. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” sung by Lisa is the icing on the cake!

What’s Not

  • The intentional choice to leave the puppet plate lines visible on the faces of the characters is quite distracting and fails to overpower the intentions of subtle philosophical references to humans as puppets in a stage called the world. Though they are used in a couple of places to visualise the mental agony of the lead character, the point is not made convincing enough.

Badges

Story
Direction
Art Direction

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

Anomalisa is a masterfully crafted animated movie that strings together a delightful sequence of universally recognizable situations and characters, brought to life by accurate technical work and strikingly appropriate voices – overall this is one humanly relatable show that brims with tangible emotions!