“Anomalisa” is a rare R-rated animated feature. Directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson have crafted an adult story using puppets and stop-motion animation techniques. Many have embraced “Anomalisa” for being bold and unique. It’s true that F-bombs, sex scenes and graphic nudity aren’t regular features in Pixar or DreamWorks Animation movies (for good reason). However, having these elements alone doesn’t make a film worth seeing. There’s got to be an interesting story with something to say. I was expecting so much more from Anomalisa” than it delivers.
David Thewlis voices author and motivational speaker Michael Stone. He’s in Cincinnati to talk at a seminar on workplace communication. The entire film takes place within Michael’s 24-hour stay in his hotel. We notice early on that all of the voices from the supporting characters are the same (the credits list “Everyone Else” as voiced by Tom Noonan). Clearly, Michael doesn’t get much from or appreciate the people he comes across in on daily basis, including his wife and young son.
Following a brief encounter with an old girlfriend in the hotel bar, Michael meets a diehard fan who’s also staying at the hotel for the conference. Her name is Lisa, and Michael actually can hears her voice (as done by Jennifer Jason Leigh). They, not surprisingly, instantly connect and spend the night together. But their relationship doesn’t work out as Michael planned.
There are a lot of problems with “Anomalisa”, the first being that it takes way too long for the story to get to this point. The animation style may be “stop motion” but the story is executed in SLOW MOTION. The conversations, while authentic, are dull as dirt, as most real-life conversations are. Having to listen to puppets say these lines instead of real actors doesn’t make them any more interesting. Nor does watching a puppet character urinate or take a shower or two puppets having sex. None of these “daring” scenes add anything to whatever it is that Kaufman is trying to say. The notable symbolism is extremely obvious, and it’s muddled within context and situations that simply don’t add-up.
I do give Kaufman (who adapted the script from his own play) credit for the inventive animation, and the attention to detail, particularly in the hotel lobby and Michael’s room. But the puppets themselves are distracting, their faces divided into sections as a mask with lines across their eyes. I kept thinking they look like the Phantom of the Opera wearing glasses.
There was an opportunity for Kaufman to use this genre and his amazing imagination to say something interesting about people, life, love, relationships – but, basically, Anomalisa” provides nothing new on any of those topics, while presenting them in an unappealing and uninspired fashion.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Anomalisa” gets a C-.
Running Time: 90 min.