What’s It About
After undergoing surgery for a new start in life, Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis, becomes fixated on another man playing him in a stage production based on Edward’s former life.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
In this thought-provoking psychological drama, Sebastian Stan gives an eye-catching performance as Edward, a wannabe actor with neurofibromatosis-an affliction which has left him with facial tumors, making him in life feel alienated. His life is limited to humdrum roles in corporate training videos, and lives in a shabby apartment where his life is filled with a desire to avoid any form of humiliation day in and day out. His humdrum life is turned upside down when Ingrid, played by Renate Reinsve, moves in next door, bringing with her one of the few moments of kindness he will experience. Enlightened by her presence and desperate for change himself, Edward undergoes an experimental treatment to change his appearance. The operation certainly changes his outlook, but the aftermath proves decidedly much more complicated than expected as Oswald, a man with Edwards’s old face and an astoundingly different take on life, emerges. After the transformation, Edward takes on the name “Guy” and at first, revels in new professional and romantic opportunities. But things get really surreal when he discovers Ingrid is writing a play called “Edward” about his former life. The weirdest turn of events comes when Guy auditions to play himself, hoping to don a mask of his old face. As his relationship with Ingrid intensifies, it becomes apparent that her obsession with him contains some unsettling psychological undertones. Oswald’s arrival serves as a true plot twist. Though he wears the visage of Edward, Oswald is charismatic and confident, and before long, he has the theater troupe and even Ingrid eating out of his hand. With Oswald silky smooth in taking over not only the title role but also Guy’s girlfriend, Ingrid, Guy’s precarious mental state begins to spiral into darkly comic violence, a downward spiral of increasingly strange situations. The film plays wonderfully with expectations of facial differences; Edward’s isolation has been a product of his social awkwardness rather than an aspect of his physical appearance. This trait endures past his physical transformation. This will require some suspension of disbelief but ultimately works as a nuanced way of saying beauty does not automatically equal happiness. Sebastian Stan is nuanced in the portrayal of Edward/Guy’s journey from endearingly uncertain into darkly obsessive, but Adam Pearson truly steals scenes with an infectious vitality as Oswald that elevates him from a potential object of pity to irresistible force of nature. Renate Reinsve provides wonderful support, with Ingrid playing well off both male leads. At times, the film stumbles over its eccentricities, but it works where it counts in providing a great look at identity, self-acceptance, and the roles we play-both for others and ourselves. The play-within-a-play device offers interesting commentary on the creative process. At the same time, scenes such as a memorable karaoke scene allow the leads to show off their chemistry and range. In other words, while recent films have tapped into similarly thematic veins of bodily transformation, “A Different Man” makes its own mark with a darkly comic tone and by reminding viewers that often, changing one’s exterior doesn’t equate to the wished-for interior results. Blending body horror with psychological tension and absurdist humor, the film offers an intriguing meditation on the complicated interplay between appearance, identity, and happiness.
OUR RATING – A COMPLICATED 8