A Different Man review: Expertly observed dissection of image
A Different Man | Dir. Aaron Schimberg | ★★★★☆
Sebastian Stan plays Edward, a lonely New Yorker with Neurofibromatosis, a series of tumours on the face that make him feel disconnected from the outside world. He undergoes miracle surgery to cure the condition, and begins a new life with the name Guy, finding renewed professional and romantic success. However, he finds the change unfulfilling, and becomes obsessed with Osward (Adam Pearson), an actor attached to a play being written about his life.
Director Aaron Schimberg offers an interesting take on the premise, which sidesteps any assumptions you may have about people with facial differences. Edward’s isolation is shown to be a result of his own awkwardness with people, which carries over into his post-op self (Stan wears prosthetics for the first half of the film).
By contrast, Oswald is popular due to his winning personality. It’s an idea that requires some suspension of disbelief, reducing the impact of ablism to deliver a moral about beauty not equalling happiness. However, the darkly comic script makes some sharp observations along the way. The play-within-a-play offers some fun insights about the creative process, while a captivating karaoke scene brings the best out of both stars.
Stan is tremendous in the lead, taking you every step of the way on Edward’s journey from sweetly befuddled to dark and resentful. There’s connective tissue between his performances in and out of makeup, that gives the film a heartbeat amid some odd body horror moments.
Pearson, a standout performer in Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin and someone with Neurofibromatosis in real life, breezes onto the screen and provides the perfect catalyst to Edward’s descent. A Different Man can trip over its over weirdness at times, but brings a fascinatingly observed dissection of image to the screen.
• A Different Man is in cinemas from 4th October; For more going out tap here