Anomalisa

Name: Anomalisa
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Animation
Released: December 30, 2015
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 88
Cast: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan

2015

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 46 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 325 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 325 Ratings

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Anomalisa

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: December 30, 2015 | R

Starring: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan

Summary: Michael Stone, an author of books on the subject of customer service, struggles to connect with people. One night, while on a routine business trip, he meets Lisa, a stranger with a unique voice.

Director: Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson

Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Animation

Rating: R

Runtime: 90 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Amy Nicholson

Dec 29, 2015

Kaufman builds an emotional world we're nervous to enter, one we're already living in. Read full review

100

Peter Keough

Jan 7, 2016

It takes a few minutes to catch on, and it would be indiscrete to specify what it is, but once you figure out what’s really strange about it you have entered the solipsistic prison of a tormented mind. Read full review

100

Empire Ian Freer

Feb 22, 2016

Anomalisa has more heart, soul and pathos than 99.9 per cent of live-action movies. The best hotel-set love story since "Lost In Translation." Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

Sep 12, 2015

A disorienting puzzle of a movie with many exhilarating pieces, Anomalisa nevertheless maintains a straightforward trajectory involving Michael's internal strife. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Dec 30, 2015

For all its visual audacity and honest feeling, Anomalisa is a modest, even slight work, aesthetically sealed off from the same reality it engages.... But there's so much beauty and sadness in it, and so many exquisitely conceived scenes (including an impromptu musical performance that ranks with Kaufman's greatest moments), that it would be miserly to underrate it. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Jan 11, 2016

Seldom, it is fair to say, does Kaufman just want to have fun, but as he lifts the spell of his gloom a surprising beauty breaks through. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Jan 20, 2016

Alternately daring and dull, inventively animated, intimate and yet impersonal, it’s challenging enough to turn off most. Read full review

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User Reviews

MattBrady99

Dec 31, 2015

Michael Stone: "I think you're extraordinary".

Lisa: "Why?". Michael Stone: "I don't know yet. It's just obvious to me that you are". Anomalisa is about a depressed customer service rep faces the mundanity of his life and one day finds someone he can finally connect with. What aMichael Stone: "I think you're extraordinary".

Lisa: "Why?".

Michael Stone: "I don't know yet. It's just obvious to me that you are".

Anomalisa is about a depressed customer service rep faces the mundanity of his life and one day finds someone he can finally connect with.

What a better way to end the year is to talk about "Anomalisa", one of my most anticipated movie of 2015. Charlie Kaufman is an inspiration, as a writer and now a director. Synecdoche, New York is one of my all time favorite movies, and yeah it's for everyone, but I personally loved it as with every repeat viewings of the movie made my love each more. Now we've got Anomalisa, Kaufman's new film and I did have the pleasure of watching the movie last night, I thought it was freaking fantastic. He did it again everyone.

What really surprised me is how Anomalisa is the least complicated film by Charlie Kaufman, I mean Synecdoche, New York was very complicated and really needed Analyzing with repeat viewings just to get a gasp on what's happening, but here it's not that complicated. But the movie has a lot of clever and excellent choices that makes this movie just as unique as it is, I mean since we live in a age that every movie is the same, this movie stands out from the rest and it's execution was better than most of the animated movies I've seen this year.

Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman are the main directors of this movie, and both of them have created one marvel of a film. Both of them mixed humor and seriousness together perfectly well. Duke Johnson is best known for working on TV shows such as: Moral Orel, Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, and Community. So yeah, "Anomalisa" is Duke Johnson's first feature length film and I thought he did a brilliant job on this movie, as he worked well with Charlie.

Another thing I have to praise is the animation as it is freaking flawless. The movie is in stop motion and it's seriously impressive. When are main character goes through doors into different rooms and hall ways it was handled marvelously, because it makes this universe that the movie is set in feel real. The voice acting and the character designs made these characters feel like real people. Oh and how can I not talk about the characters eyes in this movie, as it was more realistic and impressive than any other animated movie I've seen this year. "The most human movie of the year. And it doesn't star a single human". - From Matt patches

Overall Anomalisa is one of the best animated movies of 2015. It's way better than "Inside Out" (In my opinion). Charlie Kaufman has done it again everyone and it's glorious.… Expand

15 of 17 users found this helpful152

radamanthys

Jan 30, 2016

There are few movies that can make me feel what this flick was capable of, an incredible movie with an unique style and a challenging story. Short, well made, delighfully strong experience.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

oDjento

Mar 27, 2016

At this point I have to state that I absolutely love Charlie Kaufman films. Eternal Sunshine is one of my favourite films of all time and Anomalisa closely follows suit. The film mainly takes place in and around the hotel in which Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis) visits to deliver aAt this point I have to state that I absolutely love Charlie Kaufman films. Eternal Sunshine is one of my favourite films of all time and Anomalisa closely follows suit. The film mainly takes place in and around the hotel in which Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis) visits to deliver a press conference.
However, more and more is explained to us as the film carries on and we find out that Michael Stone has some sort of issue; or is it the people around him? The film deals with personality, narcissism, misogyny and delusion in a way that you can slowly decode but in an encrypted enough fashion for you to want to watch this film again. There is an intense amount of things going on under the surface of this film.
The film is also a very emotionally anchored film, that really makes you believe in the characters in a human way. The film is also beautifully shot and includes each part of creepy, comedic, and touching tones to the film that are all captured perfectly.
The film may end in a way that leaves you slightly unsatisfied but it does to some extent complete Michael Stone’s story arc. This film is complex and delicate, and is an astonishing achievement to see.
There is so much I can speak about with this film but I don’t want to give too much away so all I can say is go watch this film and then discuss it with others online.
9/10… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

geewah

Feb 2, 2022

A movie about a man's mundane life that takes a turn one night when he meets a stranger on a business trip.
One of the great strengths of this movie is it's use of stop motion animation and how much emotion is generated from the models.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

foxgrove

Dec 31, 2015

A quirky and an unusually adult entry into the animation field. This Charlie Kaufman written and directed oddity isn’t without its moments, some of which are very tender indeed. However, like all his other very original output I’m sure it won’t stand up to repeat viewings. Critics have beenA quirky and an unusually adult entry into the animation field. This Charlie Kaufman written and directed oddity isn’t without its moments, some of which are very tender indeed. However, like all his other very original output I’m sure it won’t stand up to repeat viewings. Critics have been running out of superlatives for this curiosity which whilst it doesn’t bore one, it doesn’t wow either. One watches in a kind of fascinated indifference. As with all Kaufman’s output there is definitely less here than meets the eye.… Expand

4 of 15 users found this helpful411

sonickoala

Jan 27, 2016

I was profoundly disappointed by this movie. Evidently, as some of his previous works demonstrate, Kaufman has the capacity to write complex, emotionally moving films that explore the human condition and encourage the audience to reflect on life and what it means to be.

"Anomalisa" is notI was profoundly disappointed by this movie. Evidently, as some of his previous works demonstrate, Kaufman has the capacity to write complex, emotionally moving films that explore the human condition and encourage the audience to reflect on life and what it means to be.

"Anomalisa" is not one of them. This film feels so haphazard and disjointed; there's an utter lack of thematic cohesion and its attempts to provoke some kind of emotional response from the audience fall utterly flat. I can't remember the last time I've been so misled by a trailer; the clips and quotes you hear in the trailer are literally the best lines in the film, and within the larger context of "Anomalisa" itself, they lack any sort of punch. The universal voice idea is an interesting one, but it's used with limited effect in the film.

I won't deny that the film has some interesting things to say, but the way it presents these ideas is so poor and schizophrenic; they're just abruptly thrown into the dialogue in such an amateurish fashion. It's almost hard to believe this is the same mind behind films like "Eternal Sunshine" or "Synecdoche".

I simply can't recommend this film to anyone, even to fans of Kaufman's previous work. This is a movie that really could have benefited from a longer run-time, as it was sorely wanting for further character and general thematic development.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

Corregated

Feb 12, 2018

Like spending 40 minutes inside the boring life of my creepy old boss. Turned it off went it went from boring to offensive.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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16	#16 Best Movie of 2015
66	#66 Most Discussed Movie of 2015
41	#41 Most Shared Movie of 2015