Anomalisa

Movie Name: Anomalisa

Year of Release: 2015

Director: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson

Stars: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan

Genre: Animation, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis & Review:

Director and writer Charlie Kaufman is back, alongside director Duke Johnson, with a new vehicle for his unique and inventive universe. The film focuses on the character of Michael Stone, a celebrated author who specializes in Customer Service, who's in Cincinatti for a conference. Michael is going through the motions in his life, and is profoundly unhappy. A past relationship he had before getting married haunts him, which propels him to contact his previous girlfriend when he arrives at the hotel. When that encounter goes awry, Michael is suddenly enraptured by the voice of another woman, Lisa, who's also at the hotel to listen to his speech. Michael feels an immediate connection to Lisa, whom he pursues feverishly.
Charlie Kaufman is another unique voice in cinema, and has created a portfolio of features (alongside some very talented directors) that definitely highlight his perspective of relationships. Though anchored on concepts that are surreal, these are deeply emotional stories that reflect his views on relationships and on the world in general. "Anomalisa" is anchored on a beautiful concept: Michael's loneliness is expressed by the fact that to him everyone sounds exactly the same. There's no difference in his life from anyone that surrounds him - he doesn't feel loved or connected to anyone, and much to his surprise, this woman who in her own words is "nothing special", has a distinct voice of her own, that just connects with him immediately. This metaphor highlights the concept that there's that one special person for everyone, that sounds unique and touches us in ways no one else does. The film is beautifully executed, with fantastic animation and stunning voice work from David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan (who makes the voices of everyone other than Michael and Lisa). The score from Carter Burwell is equally a great highlight. A very good film worth watching!