• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Film
  • DVD
  • Editorial
  • About ScreenFish

ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • News
  • OtherFish
  • Podcast
  • Give

Anomalisa: Face in the Crowd

anomalisa-still2Stop-motion artwork is tricky. We accept it for some settings, like the children’s entertainment in?Shaun of the Sheep?or in some cases, the work of Matt Stone and Trey Parker. But in the case of Charlie Kaufman’s adaptation of his own stage work,?Anomalisa, the method proves effective for conveying the mundane, miserable life of Michael Stone, a customer service expert spending a lonely weekend in a Cincinnati hotel.

Stone, played by David Thewlis, has a rather bland life, spent mostly away from his wife and son. One of the few “bumps” on his path is an old flame named Bella who he tries unsuccessfully to connect with in the hotel; the subsequent letdown from his failure to feel or experience anything leads him to a younger fan, Lisa Hesselman (Jennifer Jason Leigh). What is striking about the film is that everyone appears the same to Stone (their faces are all the same model), except for Lisa. Can she help him feel something or be truly alive?

anomalisa-650-1On the Blu-ray special features, audiences can investigate the way that the figures were formed and characterized, as well as how they get… intimate. The sounds of the film also get a special look for those who are into the score and mood of a film. But seriously, the animation is what captures you, and holds on tight. Unfortunately, it left me with little hope for what could be – as Stone is left alone, even when he’s reunited with his family. Still, it’s Kauffman, and inventive, sad, and poignant are usually what we get.

Share it!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

About Jacob Sahms

Jacob serves as a United Methodist pastor in Virginia, where he spends his downtime in a theater or playing sports

Primary Sidebar

THE SF NEWS

Get a special look, just for you.

Hot Off the Press

  • 88: The Roots of Racism
  • You Can Live Forever: You Can Live Forever IF…
  • John Wick: Chapter 4 – Pageantry and Pistols
  • The Wrong Ones – Grit and struggle
  • GIVEAWAY! Advance Passes to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES!
Find tickets and showtimes on Fandango.

where faith and film are intertwined

film and television carry stories which remind us of the stories God has woven since the beginning of time. come with us on a journey to see where faith and film are intertwined.

Footer

ScreenFish Articles

88: The Roots of Racism

You Can Live Forever: You Can Live Forever IF…

  • About ScreenFish
  • Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...