“Michael, the lead character of Anomalisa, is an expert in customer service. He literally wrote the book on a practice that involves building brief, superficial relationships with a clear set of rules. And as the latest from genius Charlie Kaufman and animator Duke Johnson plays out, it’s clear that that’s the only kind of relationship for which Michael, voiced by David Thewlis, has any facility.
“He’s bored with his wife and young son. He bristles at the small talk of his cabbie as he’s taken to his hotel in Cincinnati, where he’ll speak at a conference. He cringes when he reads the accusing letter of a woman he loved briefly and then quickly left behind. He sees nothing but sameness all around him, and thanks to Johnson’s clone-like puppets and Kaufman’s choice to use Tom Noonan to voice practically every other character, we do too.
“Into this dour scenario speaks Lisa, a gentle soul who’s come to see Michael speak, and whose sweet, distinctive voice (provided by Jennifer Jason Leigh) gives him a reason to rejoice – at least temporarily. One brief, painfully intimate encounter and an awkward morning-after breakfast is enough to strip Lisa of the mystery that Michael finds so compelling.
“With Anomalisa, Kaufman delves again into favorite subjects such as the nature of identity and romantic love, and how individual perception can color our view of each. This time, the tale is told with puppets, which were left unaltered in post-production so that their seams are always showing, While some have read this as Kaufman’s commentary on the mechanical state of modern humanity, I prefer to think of it as the filmmaker’s tip of the hat to the basic human flaws that each of us carry and typically try to hide.
“The head rush it inspires can make it easy to underappreciate the visual artistry of Anomalisa, from the handcrafted intricacy of every set and character to the endearingly soft texture of the puppets’ flesh, to the warm, crystalline quality of the lighting. Within the bland Midwestern hotel setting there is bespoke beauty everywhere. One just has to be open to seeing it.” ~ Melissa Starker
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