Sebastian Stan is terrific is that this darkly comedian, surreal deconstruction of identification, even when it takes a bizzare flip in direction of the top.
PLOT: A person (Sebastian Stan) with a uncommon situation that resulted in extreme facial deformities undergoes an experimental remedy which leaves him with a brand new face.
REVIEW: Aaron Schimberg’s A Totally different Man is a blackly comedian deconstruction of identification. It examines how all of the sudden waking up with an ideal face might, initially, be thrilling however can’t completely remedy what’s below the pores and skin and within the soul. Whereas that sounds saccharine, Schimberg’s film places that message throughout in a surrealistic approach that primarily works till a weird epilogue stretches the premise a tad too far.
Sebastian Stan is terrific in his meatiest function so far. The film begins with him buried below layers of make-up as Edward, who appears to be troubled with a situation much like neurofibromatosis. He’s a contact object of curiosity and pity for these round him whereas he lives a quiet life in a decaying New York condominium. He pines for his fairly next-door neighbour, performed by Renate Reinsve, whereas making an attempt to make a profession as an actor, solely discovering minor roles that forged him due to his facial variations.
In fact, Edward quickly undergoes a process that leaves him wanting…properly…like Sebastian Stan, which transforms his life in a single day, however he can’t recover from a sure pining for his former life. Whereas the previous neighbour decides to mount an off-Broadway tragedy about his totally different life, he talks his approach into enjoying the function on stage. His notion of his former life is quickly shaken up when he meets Adam Pearson’s Oswald. Like Oswald, Pearson suffers from neurofibromatosis, however not like Edward, he appears completely content material along with his lot in life and is a optimistic, upbeat character. In fact, this drives the nonetheless self-pitying Edward loopy.
It’s a layered function for Stan, with him having to play the shy, withdrawn and unhappy Edward whereas nonetheless evoking that regardless of his new attractiveness, he’s nonetheless the identical man deep down. He performs the black comedy facet very properly, whereas Reinsve, the star of The Worst Individual in The World, has an excellent half as the article of his affection, who has her personal blindspots and a vacuous, egocentric streak. Better of all is Pearson, who additionally starred in Schimberg’s final film, Chained for Life. Extremely-charismatic and charming, Oswald is the whole lot Edward will not be, with the notion that not the whole lot in life comes all the way down to seems to be. Edward has dreamed of being handsome, pondering that will give him the whole lot he desires, however that’s solely half true.
Schimberg does an excellent job conveying the loneliness of Edward’s life, each earlier than and after the transformation, with out evoking any sense of pity for the character. He additionally casts a number of actors with facial variations and satirizes how well-meaning individuals might patronize these with variations. The make-up conveying Edward’s situation is great but additionally serves as a sly commentary on how even the perfect make-up can’t evoke what an individual with that situation seems to be like, which turns into all of the extra obvious when Pearson enters.
Nonetheless, the movie goes on about ten minutes too lengthy, with a weird epilogue setting the movie off in direction of an anti-climactic conclusion that dilutes a number of the influence of what we’ve simply seen. However, it’s nonetheless a considerate, clever, and generally fairly humorous movie, boasting a trio of terrific performances, with Stan at his greatest.
