The idea of beauty and image identity has been explored already this year, but Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man is perhaps the most compelling in placing the audience in the eyes of the struggles of Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis, leaving his face severely disfigured and deformed.
The film is a blend of character drama, black comedy and thriller, but Schimberg takes his time in establishing an empathetic dialogue between Edward, on the screen, and us the audience, who watch Edward in a subjective view of society that puts us in his shoes. Taunted by children on the subway, and unsuccessful in his career as an actor, only able to act in informative adverts that instruct members of the workplace on how to act and treat disabled people, in an over-the-top, politically correct satirical way, for all intents and purpose Edward’s life is a failure.
However, when Ingrid played by Renate Reinsve, in the brilliant The Worst Woman in the World, moves into the apartment next door and becomes fascinated with Edward. She begins writing a play around Edward’s life. But, Edward, who has signed up to trial a risky, but life-changing new surgery to change his face, slowly loses signs of disfigurement, the ticket that was going to lend him the opportunity he desired his whole life. Slowly, his new face, that of Sebastian Stan, who takes up the pseudonym Guy, as no one will believe him in his surgery, causes him to lose the opportunities he yearned for and thought he would have if he had a new image.
A Different Man, whilst a commentary on image in the 21st Century is more interested in exploring the emotions of desire and jealousy. Especially as the film progresses and introduces Adam Pearson’s Oswald, a man who suffers the same disfigurement as Edward but is cheerful and annoyingly friendly. Slowly chipping away at Edward’s new life and the lies he tells the people around him to hide his former face. Oswald’s actions almost feel malicious at times because of how well the film places us within Edward’s psyche. As Oswald takes the lead role of Edward in Ingrid’s play, away from Edward, we suffer Edward’s internal rage as he watches his old life played out by someone more charismatic and self-accepting than he will ever be. We can’t help but ask why Edward’s former life wasn’t like that.
Although the film’s premise is deliciously bubbling in its internal jealousy, I couldn’t help but struggle to get on the film’s wavelength. It is a film that is part character study, part science fiction, part thriller, part dark comedy and this fusion of genre at times didn’t quite come together in the opening act. I wasn’t sure where the film was heading, if it was about the surgery, exploring beauty like The Substance, or whether it was exploring the relationship between Ingrid and Edward. Around 40 minutes into the film I still wasn’t sure what the film wanted to be. However, once I got onto the wavelength of the film, I enjoyed this tale of desire and jealousy with three captivating performances at the heart of the picture.
The film has a beautifully old-fashioned image, helped out by being shot on 16mm, aiding the sincereness of the character drama. The image has a texture, an imperfection that matches that of the disfigured face of Edward. Whilst there are no stand-out shots, the choice of colour, particularly a garish yellow colour grading at times adds to the dark and jealous undertones of the film. Another highlight of the film was Umberto Smerilli’s score, which sounds like it has come straight out of a Hitchcockian thriller. Whereas many scores aim to be unnoticeable background noise, seeping into our subconscious, Smerilli’s score is loud and suspicious. Its melody feels like something is awry, providing tension and anxiety in Edward’s jealous and frazzled mind.
However, where the film shines is in the dynamic between Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan. Pearson’s Oswald is brilliantly written, you cannot help but be charmed by him, yet you resent him for taking away what Edward feels is rightfully his.
Perhaps the only blemish on the film is the ending, particularly one childish moment, with an almost infuriating lack of catharsis of the central deceit, it is the sort of film that makes you scream at the logic of the characters.
Although A Different Man takes its time setting up a somewhat complex premise that leaves you wondering where the film is heading, three great performances at the centre provide a compelling tale of deceit, desire and jealousy that is intriguing and enthralling.
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