By Matthew Moorcroft

Highest Recommendation

• Directed by Aaron Schimberg
• Starring Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson, C. Mason Wells
• R

Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man, which begins on a man’s face being scanned for the possibility of treatment, is one of the most unique films of the year simply by the means of it’s execution. Steeped in old school cinematography stylings that wouldn’t feel out of place in something like the work of Woody Allen or Arthur Penn, A Different Man is also distinctly modern in how it wants to approach it’s lead subjects; less interested in them as commodities and faces to be gawked at or pitied, and instead as fascinating psychological studies of their own.

Edward Lemeul has a problem, though what he actually thinks is his problem rather then what is actually his problem are two completely different things. Edward’s facial condition – mentioned as neurofibromatosis in the film – means he’s inherently passed up on for roles for more conventionally attractive people and has to resort to whatever small bits he can get. It’s undeniably frustrating, and the film’s empathetic approach to the material means you sympathize with Edward’s plight. He’s self-hating in a way, but also you don’t blame him for going through with the actual surgery simply due to the circumstances the film showcases in great detail.

But Edward’s problems aren’t fixed. Instead, he gains a whole host of other issues, and you start to see the wires in his head unravel and the true mess start to reveal itself. Edward’s inability to form meaningful connections – as well as his inferiority complex – start to ruin his life in ways that him, and the audience, simply do not expect. Schimberg’s direction is patient and quiet, with most of the “big moments” only happening in the last 15 minutes of the picture as it spends the rest of the time making it’s cast feel alive and nuanced.

Edward isn’t the only weirdo here either. You also have Ingrid and Oswald, who are more ostensibly normal on the outset but as the film progresses you quickly learn that everybody is just as crazy as Edward in the head. Ingrid has a bizarre saviour complex surrounding Edward, and later Oswald’s, condition, to the point where it reaches a psychosexual element (one I’d like to believe was partly caused by some things that happen during the middle section of the picture) that’s as off-putting as it morbidly funny. Oswald is a bit more difficult to pin down, who at first just seems like a relatively normal guy whose confidence despite his condition allows him to be the “different man” that Edward always wished to be. That resentment mixed with adoration culminates on one of the film’s most shocking climatic moments, which I won’t dare spoil here, but it also gives way to the fact that Oswald himself might be a bit of a weirdo himself. He’s so charismatic and charming that, at points, it feels fabricated to compensate for something but you aren’t sure what, and he’s got the air of an opportunist in how he worms his way into the lives of our two leads so effortlessly.

It helps that all three actors here are just stunningly great. Adam Pearson, beyond being just an instant movie star here, is also a mix of very funny while also hard to read. You never quite know what he’s going to do next which makes him consistently fun to watch. Reinsve is fantastic too, particularly once her idiosyncratic tendencies come out full force during the production of her play and she starts to reveal herself as obsessed in the worst way possible. And then there is Sebastian Stan, who gives a career best performance as a man who has to play multiple roles at once within one character and it’s sublime. He’s so good in fact you almost don’t believe it’s him for a good chunk of the first half of the film until he literally and figuratively “sheds his skin” in a Poltergeist style face melt scene that will likely disgust you in a good way. His facial acting is immense, and the way his body language constantly suggests a man so afraid of contact with other people that sometimes feels like he is moving out of the frame constantly is just fantastic.

It’s a shame A Different Man will likely go mostly unawarded this awards season, as it seems to have fallen under the cracks for most in favour of other, bigger contenders. But it’s top notch, searing script – as well as it’s magnificent performances at the center – deserve to be seen and rewarded in the same way as much of the rest of the best. It’s a fantastic, deliriously weird film that’s also one of the most engaging of the year, and one of my favourites.