Identities, social stigmas, and performance art make for bizarrely fun bedfellows in A Different Man
By pure coincidence, two surrealist films about physical appearance are opening in theaters one week apart, The Substance and A Different Man. The two films are vastly different but share overarching thematic similarities. The latter is a dark dreamlike comedy from Aaron Schimberg (Chained for Life). It’s also a performative showcase for its three stars, who are able to fully explore the depths of their characters. A Different Man’s story is small-scale and bizarre, but through the performances and direction, it remains grounded in an off-kilter reality that makes it highly humorous, shocking, and entertaining.
Edward (Sebastian Stan, Captain America: Winter Soldier) is a lonely aspiring actor with a medical condition called neurofibromatosis that severely disfigures his face. A pretty, extroverted aspiring playwright, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World), moves in next door and connects immediately with Edward. Wanting to be less socially chastised for his appearance, Edward agrees to participate in an experimental procedure that transforms his face to a traditionally handsome man. As his life begins a new trajectory, a chance re-encounter with Ingrid sparks a yearning for what could’ve been, and he is subsequently tormented when Oswald (Adam Pearson, Under the Skin), a charming aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis that closely resembles Edward’s old face, begins living the ideal life that Edward never had.
There’s a lot of meanings and themes to draw out of A Different Man: male insecurity, social stigmas, art imitating life, and competing identities among them. But the script never allows for a theme to overtake the charisma of the characters, or their journeys. A film as unpredictable as A Different Man is rare, with a script that confidently subverts the timing of critical plot turns without going completely off-the-rails. The jazzy score by Italian composer Umberto Smerilli, the intimate dreamlike cinematography by Wyatt Garfield, the contained but lived-in set design, and the film’s strong technical attributes create a relatable world in which character motivations and fateful coincidences are not only believable, but affecting.
Depending on the film’s performance at the box office and audience reception, it’ll be interesting to see if Stan and Pearson can earn (well-deserved) Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. A Best Original Screenplay, at the very least, should be expected. I also can’t wait to see where Aaron Schimberg takes audiences next, and hope he continues to thrive within comically surrealist worlds he seems adept at creating.
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A Different Man opens in theaters on Friday, Oct. 4th.
