Welcome to the Kaufman surreal-neorealism tale in a dull world of sameness.|Dec. 30, 2015|United Kingdom | United States|90 Min.|R
Genre: Animation;Comedy;Drama;Romance
Description: In 2005, Michael Stone, a middle-aged British motivational speaker and customer service expert, travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to promote his latest book at a hotel convention. Struggling with loneliness, he feels disconnected from everyone around him, including his wife and son, perceiving them as having identical faces and voices. While rehearsing his speech in his hotel room, he is haunted by memories of a past relationship with Bella, whom he left abruptly years ago. He arranges to meet her at the hotel bar, but the encounter ends in turmoil as she angrily rejects his advances and storms off.
Later, Michael wanders into an adult toy store, mistaking it for a children’s toy shop. Intrigued by a Japanese animatronic doll, he contemplates purchasing it as a gift for his son. Returning to his hotel, he hears a distinct female voice and discovers Lisa, a shy young woman attending the convention with her friend Emily. Fascinated by her uniqueness, Michael invites them for drinks and later convinces Lisa to join him in his room. There, he encourages her to sing and share her life story. Moved by her self-description as an “anomaly,” he affectionately nicknames her Anomalisa, and they share an intimate moment.
That night, Michael experiences a disturbing nightmare in which his face disintegrates, and he is chased by faceless figures who claim he cannot be with Lisa. Inspired by the dream, he proposes a new life together, but the next morning, her quirks begin to irritate him, and he starts to see her as indistinguishable from everyone else. During his convention talk, Michael suffers an emotional breakdown, confessing his isolation and ranting about the government, leaving the audience alienated.
Cast director: Charlie Kaufman
Cast actor: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan
Original name: Anomalisa