proud_luddite Michael (voiced by David Thewlis) is a middle-aged, upper-middle class family man travelling to Cincinnati to deliver a corporate lecture on customer service. While there, he reacquaints with an ex-lover who was heartbroken by their breakup and then shows interest in another young woman whom he meets at the hotel. "Anomalisa" is a stop-motion animated film.The film begins with some questions. One is, why are all the characters' faces split in the middle? Another is, why are all the women's voices (except one) voiced by a man? (In fact, Tom Noonan voices all the men as well except Michael.)The answer to the first question takes time after the film's conclusion but the second is more easily answered during a breakfast scene near the movie's end.The highlight - and a big one at that - is a romantic conversation scene followed by a sex scene. The sex scene is warm, loving, and compassionate. This is a rarity as sex scenes in most modern films are cheap, vulgar, and casual. The romantic scene that precedes it is even more compelling.Lisa (voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh) could easily represent many modern young women (and perhaps young men too) who seem to find every reason possible to believe that they are "not good enough". Lisa measures herself according to the more superficial societal standards of looks, career success, education level, and perceived intelligence. In this powerful scene, Michael is easily able to see Lisa's greatness despite her low self-esteem.As a character study, Michael could be called a sex/love addict or someone with pathological intimacy issues. This is evidenced in an earlier scene with an ex-lover and further exposed throughout the movie.There is an implication that much of Michael's misery comes from the corporatization of our modern world - something he helped create. The film could have been even more fascinating if it dealt further with this theme.However, it remains above par and how could it not be? The screenplay is by the brilliant Charlie Kaufman who also co-directed with Duke Johnson. As the writer of such gems as "Being John Malkovich" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", his latest could only be equally unusual in a fascinating way. Likewise, Thewlis and Leigh are very powerful in their roles.

secondtake Anomalisa (2015) I was drawn to this because of the great writer, Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine, Being John Malkovich). Here was a story about an ordinary man who goes to Ohio (an ordinary place) on travel and things go very slightly strange. The fact this is an animated film took me by surprise. And I stayed with it, wondering over and over how it helped to have it animated. Here is a story about a subtle psychological crisis, and the real reactions and facial expressions of the main character (and others) seemed to me to be totally important. And here they were dumbed down to archetypes and simplifications. Oh, I know, the animators tried for subtlety but I'm not going to praise a film for being "really close" to the actual thing. Not with the actual thing would be better. However, there are elements to the film that eventually seem to require animation (though even this isn't convincing, I'll say right away). For one thing, nearly everyone's voice is the same kind of ordinary man's voice, even women. That might have been handled with dubbing. Then there are some cracks in the facade of realism that rely on animation, like people's faces have seams (or in one case coming apart). I think there might be ways to do this otherwise, but it's fine animated, too. But wait-what about this writing that I was so drawn to? Well, it's good. It's like seeing a lesser David Mamet play, knowing it's good but knowing there are some really amazing examples elsewhere. So I watched and listened and the crisis, which is of the most ordinary kind, unfolds and turns out to be something unfinished and unsatisfying. So, lots of hesitations here. A film with great potential. And maybe people who prefer (!) the nature of detached observation that the animation forces on is, and the style of it all, might get deeper in than I could.

Harhaluulo54 Despite me watching 5 airing TV series and 2 completed ones, seeing 3 movies and played one story-driven video game, I am still thinking about Anomalisa week after seeing it and all this other stuff. Keeping the rating at 5/10 has been an uncertainty for me, but I have now decided to call it a 6/10 work. Anomalisa is definitely thought-provoking, unique and even memorable experience. The execution is very different from anything that's been done before. It feels heavy on substance even though it rides with the power of a single sentence. Some would go as far as calling this a masterpiece. Some think it has nothing to offer. Should have been 40 minutes long short film instead. I will just say this: is not necessarily a must watch, but it is a must try.

meeza Acclaimed Writer-Director Charlie Kaufman's films might not be for everyone, and they are an acquired taste; but one thing for sure is that Kaufman is an anomaly in so many filmmaking ways. Kaufman goes for the stop-motion animation in his movie "Anomalisa", which he co-directed with animation Director Duke Johnson. Anomalisa's protagonist is Michael Stone, a middle-aged motivational business speaker & author who travels to Cincinnati for a gig as a keynote speaker at a conference. Stone finds people and life in general very monotonous and with much sameness. But things go anomalistic when he meets Lisa, a depressed telemarketing representative who is attending the conference. Michael sees Lisa as a vibrant, standout woman and falls for her. His "hands of Stone" even get in Lisa's private parts. OK, that is enough. I will let you figure it out. But I do highly recommend to visit this eccentric, visionary film that had me quite engaged throughout its narrative. There is spectacular voice work from David Thewlis who voices Stone, Jennifer Jason-Leigh who voices Lisa, and Tom Noonan who voices everyone else. The animation was divine, and the score was right on. Kaufman's screenplay was a simplistic but original tour-de-force. And Johnson and him directed the hell out of "Anomalisa". Anomalisa! Anomalisa! Men have loved you!!! Hope women love it too, because it is in motion as a "must see" stop-motion animation treat. ***** Excellent