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Every time I see a Charlie Kaufman film I'm reminded how fearless he is at examining the human condition and why I need to put a lot of time in between watching his movies.

In "Anomalisa," his Academy-Award nominated animated film, David Thewlis and especially Jennifer Jason Leigh do tremendous voice work as an emotionally ill minor celebrity and the shy, awkward woman with whom he enjoys a one-night stand while at a conference at which he is the speaker. The film is an examination of middle-aged male discontent and loneliness, a subject a younger version of me was always impatient with and which the 41-year-old version of me now finds hits uncomfortably close to home. Kaufman creates a sad character who has many unpleasant tendencies but isn't necessarily a completely unpleasant man, and allows us to see how this one night in the man's life and his approach to human relationships is a stand-in for his entire adult life and the driving force behind his depression.

As in his masterpiece, "Synecdoche, New York," Kaufman refuses to give in to the convention of happy, or at least hopeful, endings, and suggests that it is possible to live an entire life being utterly miserable if you don't possess the resources to do otherwise, a terrifying idea to anyone who has struggled with depression, anxiety, or even just prolonged bouts of general malaise. In so many Hollywood movies about unhappy people, the unhappy people just need the emotional connection to that one special person that shakes them out of their funk and changes everything around for them. One of the things I liked best about "Anomalisa" is its suggestion that, while those special people really do exist, happiness in any one person is something that has to come from inside and isn't going to be imposed on one by another. It isn't comfortable to think about the possibility of life being a long series of missed opportunities, but it feels honest.

Grade: A-

"Anomalisa" is in my opinion one of this year's most important films. The film centres on Michael Stone, a depressed customer service guru who struggles to connect with others, finally meeting someone he can truly connect with - a woman named Lisa.

Anyone familiar with Kaufman's work knows that he has a tendency to write incredibly deep and complex stories embedded with a plethora of themes. "Anomalisa" might just be the one exception (or anomaly) to that fact. The story is surprisingly simple; most of it takes place over the course of 24 hours. The messages behind it, fortunately, will still require multiple viewings and further analysis in order to be fully grasped. The final synthesis is elegantly woven to near perfection and is at times humorous and even thrilling. Running at only 90 minutes, the film never feels slow nor bloated. I believe "Anomalisa" is a good starting point for those just starting to get into Kaufman's filmography.

The stop-motion animation is some of the best that I have ever seen on the big screen. For a project that was funded on Kickstarter, I have to say that the quality of the animation is the equivalent to what you would see in an Aardman Animations or Laika production - if not better. There were certain shots that made me stop and really appreciate the efforts that the team went through just to make all of their characters' movements flow realistically. Kudos to them!

The reasons why I think "Anomalisa" is one of this year's most important films not only have to do with the way the film was financed and produced, but that it also opens up a dialogue on isolation and social disillusionment - they are usually seen as flaws inherent only within the individual, despite the fact that everyone plays some part in furthering it.

"Anomalisa" is a true work of art on many levels. It is a simple story that touches on a wide range of emotions, riddled with the complexities of our perceptions on relationships. Do not be surprised if this film makes you laugh more than cry. Do not be surprised if this film makes you cry more than laugh - for that is the true beauty of this anomaly of a film.

(RATING: ☆☆☆½ out of 5)

THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: A serious treatise on loneliness that, while making some intriguing insights, does ramble on and on.

GRADE: B-

SYNOPSIS: On a business trip, a lonely man searches for love among the ruins of his ordinary life.

I begin this review with a quote from Immanuel Kant: "Happiness is not an ideal of reason, but of imagination". This sums up the film, Anomalisa very succinctly. The film is an imaginative journey into the mind of a sad man who has lost all reason, living in a world where everyone is uniformly the same, in voice and appearance.

Nominated for a 2015 Oscar for Best Animated Film (and finally receiving wider distribution nearly 4 months later), Charlie Kauffman's stop-motion film has an odd yet intoxicating allure. It is a character study of a lonely man content to live within his own illusions, with reality just outside his grasp.

David Thewlis voices the character of Michael Stone, a man unable to connect with others. Michael settles for his cloistered existence. His responsibilities to his family and his job ties him down. He is a successful author and keynote speaker, discussing self-help techniques to the masses without the ability to help himself in his private life. On a business trip, he meets various strangers (all voiced by Tom Noonan). A feeling of hopelessness overpowers him. But it isn't until he finally hears a different voice in the form of Lisa Hesselman (Jennifer Jason Leigh) that he finally awakens to life and all of its wondrous possibilities. He nicknames her Anomalisa (a cross between an anomaly and Lisa herself). Their encounter becomes the crux of the film as MIchael's sanity slowly becomes unhinged, in the most literal sense.

Writer / director Charlie Kauffman creates a dreamlike film that is visually captivating but leaves many questions unanswered. (Sharing directing credit is also Duke Johnson.) With its deep philosophical bent, Mr. Kauffman's screenplay allows for too much intellectualizing and grand- standing of the human condition, interfering with the beauty of his simple tale.

The film is beautifully staged with wonderful detailed sets by the production team of John Joyce and Huy Vu and a haunting score by the reliable Carter Burwell that adds to the melancholia. The film's initial premise is intriguing, like experiencing a profound lecture or reading a compelling essay or poem, yet the level of satisfaction will differ with each viewer. Does one like metaphysical debates about the importance of life, happiness, and the general state of the human condition? Is it time well spent or wasted on thought-provoking meaningless observations? Is the glass half-empty, half-full, or not really there at all? Was I caught in a freshman class of Philosophy 101? (As you might tell, my feelings were decidedly mixed.)

While I enjoyed the film's animation and the atmospheric toll on the characters, this wisp of a plot edged on monotony, even though the film dealt with some provocative concepts. Technically, the stop-motion aspects are quite effective and achieve a graceful elegance. (Midway, the film takes on a more surreal quality which I personally found more compelling before it reverses itself once again.) But the overall script needed more risks into a wider range of bizarre and weird images that are capable within this animated genre. Instead, Kauffman and Co. settle for a tame strangeness as it trips over in its own wordiness and drawn-out ramblings.

No doubt this film is a labor of love and, on that, it should be commended. Anomalisa is the type of film project that one can greatly admire, but love never became part of the equation for this reviewer. Like the character of Michael, I just could not connect emotionally. I remained an avid observer and outsider throughout this movie-going experience, with true happiness just out of my grasp as well.

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This is certainly one of the strangest animations I have ever seen and strange in a very good way. This is a Stop-Motion film about a man , Michael Stone , who while on a business trip , decides that his life is so dull and mundane that he needs to have a bit of fun whether it be with an ex girlfriend or an admirer of his work. The problem is Michael Stone doesn't do fun. He doesn't really know how to. In fact he's not a very nice man at all.

I loved this. The attention to detail is amazing. Not just the fascinating animation but the voices. Not until it starts to looks like he might have enjoyment do we hear a woman's voice. All other times it is voiced by the same man. That's the voices of women and children too and it highlights perfectly the rut he is stuck in. The sex scenes are very unnerving yet worryingly realistic . The film makers have got the facial expressions and even the tone of the voices perfectly and it's the little things that make this film so fascinating.

Recommended.

Despite being critically acclaimed, 'Anomalisa' seems to have divided audiences. People were left mesmerised and touched by the film, while others were alienated and perplexed by it.

After seeing 'Anomalisa' for myself, it is not hard to see why it was acclaimed but at the same time it is not hard to see why it hasn't clicked with some people. Personally think that 'Anomalisa' could have been better, and it would from humble opinion would have worked better as a short film, but its many good points are so well executed that it hard to be too hard on it. Because the visuals, music and voice acting were as wonderful as they were, even if I didn't like the film it would not have gotten less than a 4 or 5.

The film apparently was originally intended to be a short film, and it does show because some of the film does feel over-stretched with padded scenes that try to disguise thin plotting (while the sex scene was intimate and touching, it was also drawn-out, somewhat too much so).

Some of the first act in particular does fail to maintain momentum, being very draggy and uneventful in places. For example, the scenes intensely detailing Michael leaving the airport, checking into the hotel and going to the room could have either been trimmed or omitted and it would not have harmed the story at all. The ending is one that is open to interpretation, don't mind these kind of endings but this one felt sudden and abrupt, the ambiguity suggestive of Kaufmann being unsure as how to end the film.

However, 'Anomalisa' looks absolutely amazing, the stop-motion style having such a beauty and realism to it as well as imaginative in its detail. When it comes to animated films this year, stylistically 'Anomalisa' definitely stands out when it comes to uniqueness. The music score is hypnotic and dream-like while also touchingly understated.

When it comes to the script there are some very thought-provoking and poetic moments, while the narratively-linear story achieves a fine balance of the distinctively-Kaufmann psychologically surreal (such as Michael reading the letter from an ex-lover and imagining her presence and Michael's dream, which was wonderfully strange), the painfully sad and the achingly humane. While some have said that they didn't get a lot out of 'Anomalisa', while not thematically original exactly the film does say a lot profound to me of the repetitiveness of relationships, it's the inside that counts and of the necessity of believing we and our loved ones are special.

The characters are neurotic (almost on the same level of the neurose-ridden characters in a Woody Allen film), especially Michael, but there was something about the touching chemistry between Michael and Lisa and their introvertedness (coming from a fairly introverted person myself) that appealed to me even if they were deliberately not the most likable in the world. The voice acting is hard to fault.

Jennifer Jason Leigh clearly put her heart and soul into Lisa and David Thewlis is similarly terrific. Meanwhile it was truly mesmerising as to how Tom Noonan voiced all the rest of the characters (essential to the point that the film made about sounding the same, or 'same voice', which would only have worked really with one voice doing them) and still managed to make them distinct from one another, not many people can do that.

Overall, a polarising film that will mesmerise viewers but alienate others. With me, it alienated at first and it would have worked better as a short film as intended originally but mostly found it very rewarding sticking with it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

There's no other to say it: 'Anomalisa' is beyond the ordinary, its something like you've never seen before (well, almost). Oscar-Winner Charlie Kaufman Writes & Directs this unusual story, with sensitivity, although the final-act turns up bland. More on that later...

'Anomalisa' Synopis: A man crippled by the Mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.

'Anomalisa' is a story about a man stuck in monotony & depression. Kaufman along-with Co-Director Duke Johnson, delivers a sad story about facing repetition in life. And they begin the story beautifully & it remains great even after its protagonist forms a relationship with a "different soul". BUT, the final-act is a downer. The narrative falls apart & even though Kaufman's message comes across, it doesn't leave an impact. The open-ending also doesn't work. In short, 'Anomalisa' works wonders, until it falls apart in its penultimate moments.

Kaufman's Writing is truly terrific in the first-hour, but as mentioned prominently before, this story deserved a better end! Kaufman & Duke Johnson's Direction is skilled, as the stop-motion adult animation, is brilliantly done.

David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh & Tom Noonan deliver mesmerizing vocal performances. Leigh, especially, is magnificent. After 'The Hateful Eight', Leigh triumphs once again with a super act in 'Anomalisa'.

On the whole, Despite some faults, 'Anomalisa' deserves a watch for its brave approach & its perfectly done depressing setting.

I am a huge Charlie Kaufman fan, and was very excited to get the chance to see this film at the Denver Film Festival this week. However, this film was extremely disappointing. The plot was quite boring and the film really just seemed to be a character study of loneliness and mental health deterioration. It would have made a great short film, but it was entirely too long for such a low-quality plot. The ending left me extremely unsatisfied.

However, I did enjoy the animation, sound, and other technical aspects of the film. But I'd have to rate this 5 stars and place it next to down there next to Schenectady, New York as one of my least favorite Charlie Kaufman films. Apparently I prefer films he writes but does not direct. I'm ready for another Spike Jonze collaboration!

I love the writer Charlie Kaufman, but I'm not as enamored of the director Charlie Kaufman, who indulges his worst tendencies in a way others won't.

Anomalisa starts very slowly, as middle-aged Michael comes into Cincinnati to give a lecture. The movie has a great love for the mundane, so we get a taxi driver giving advice, we get Michael's checking in and ordering dinner, we get an uncomfortable dinner with an ex.

The only notable thing in the early part of this animated drama is that everyone Michael meets is voiced by one actor, both men and women. Only Michael has a unique voice. Then he meets a young, insecure woman who also has a unique voice (wonderfully done by Jennifer Jason Leigh), and this leads to bland conversation and a rather long sex scene.

After all that, I was bored and restless, but then the movie picks up, offering a fascinating scene in the hotel basement after which the movie is weird, funny, sad, and brutally honest.

In both Anomalisa and Synecdoche, Kaufman proves he's comfortable with boring people before getting around to giving Kaufman's fans what they have come to expect from him through movies like BJM and Adaptation. This movie is a slight step up from Synecdoche, but it's still disappointing, although perhaps worth watching anyway.

Caught this film at a last minute matinée at ArcLight Hollywood. It's a stop motion animated film about a British author, voiced by David Thewlis, coming to Cincinnati for one night for a conference and his time spent in a first class hotel.

At the beginning I was impatient with it, I thought it might be just a stop motion South Park episode, where all the voices are pretty much the same. Then when the character of Lisa came on the screen, it all changed for me. I got it, it clicked.

The film is so disarmingly simple in its beauty and elegance. The relationship between the two main characters really touches you. Plus I'd never thought I'd be moved by the singing of a particular well known 1980s pop song in the film.

The role of Lisa was a diamond in the rough character, a beautiful, flawed girl whose been wrongly ignored romantically and it just takes the right person to see how fantastic she really is. It made me think of the times I wished I'd had a Lisa in my life and the times I was fortunate enough to have one. Lisa was voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh in a performance that fooled me, I was so drawn into the character I had no idea it was her, I only saw Lisa as Lisa.

While not a perfect film, it won me over and works on many levels, the filmmakers, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, leave it largely up for the viewer to decide what the film is about. Is the lead character insane? Is he in Limbo, his own private Hell, is everyone a robot, wearing masks literally? Does he see oil painting beauty in someone one day and the next sees only cracks and flaws? Who can say?

One thing though, voice actor Tom Noonan, albeit talented, should never sing again, ever. Never again, Dollarhyde, never again.

Anomalisa, or as I call it, A Mona Lisa, is the same as the iconic painting that is its namesake, kind of a thing of flawed beauty.

Whether a film is overrated or not is very, very subjective. 'Overrated' is a very strong word and should not be thrown around lightly when trying to describe a film as it will tend to lose its meaning. That being said, this movie is by far the definition of an overrated film, to me. 'Anomalisa' is a Stop-Motion Drama that highlights a day in the troubled life of Michael Stone where something out of the ordinary happens and he explores a relationship with a woman named Lisa. This is an incredibly small film and not many people would have heard of it. But once i did hear of it, seeing all of the incredible reviews it was getting and the 5/5's on the poster made me very intrigued as to what all the fuss was about. And as it turns out, i didn't think this movie was anything more than average, and far from the 'Masterpiece' it is being labeled as. A masterpiece of stop-motion technology? Definitely. But a Masterpiece film it is not.

What this film did incredibly well was it managed to capture human emotions, movements and performances so perfectly that you completely forget you are watching an animation. The way Director Charlie Kaufman brings these figures to life is amazing to see, and the performances he gets out of them are better than what you get from real people. This also brought life to the characters of Michael and Lisa and really allowed you to see them as real people with real distinct personalities. Michael is one of the more realistic and grounded human characters of 2015, he is clearly conflicted and has many flaws but none of them are hidden in favour of the story. I cannot stress enough how much he seems like a real person, that aspect of the film, the character creation, development, and exploration is like nothing i have ever seen in a stop-motion film, so i will give credit where credit is due. But other than that the film didn't have anything to offer.

The storytelling was rather dull, depressing and only had a few moments where it was kinda engaging. When i say 'story' i am really talking about Michael's journey to Cincinnati and the relationship between Michael and Lisa that ensues. It is rather light on story as it is focusing on the characters more, but with the overall tone and the events that occur it does get to some fairly dark and depressing levels that were hard to get into. It takes some kinda interesting turns occasionally and most definitely was not predictable but for the rest of the film i was left wanting more than just impressive Stop-Motion. The film begins and you start asking questions, then it keeps going and you start asking more and more questions whilst only receiving a few ambiguous answers. The reason why i feel this film is going to generate a lot of differing opinions is that it does require quite a bit of thinking on behalf of the viewer to come to a conclusion to what it all means. This is very evident from the directors choice to have David Thewlis voice Michael, Jennifer Jason Leigh voice Lisa, and Tom Noonan voice literally "everyone else". It is definitely an artistic choice and not one based on laziness or budget issues, but it will raise a lot of questions with some people, and just bore others.

So in the end this was an overall disappointing and very overrated film that still had what may be the best use of stop-motion animation i have ever seen. It takes someone with a love for the artistic side of films to really get anything at all out of it, as to any casual movie-goer it will probably come across as a boring mess which is completely understandable. Watch it if you want, form your own opinion, i just hope it doesn't make an impact at the Oscars. - 5.8/10

The latest of Charlie Kaufmann's demonstrations of the effect of point-of-view on story-telling, Anomalisa takes its place in that magnificent line of works beginning with Being John Malkovich, through Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche New York, all works of genius.

Taking its cue from a delusional condition, Kaufmann applies the point of view of a sufferer to an otherwise banal midlife crisis and comes up with a remarkable and completely unexpected way of presenting it to us.

Kaufmann is awesome.

As well as the terrific visuals, courtesy of co-director Duke Johnson and his team, there is yet another bullseye from composer Carter Burwell.

The pace of the movie is leisurely. The material feels unusually stretched for a Kaufmann script, which may be because it apparently started out as a 40 minute work. Really, though, it doesn't matter. I'd rather spend a little too long with Anomalisa than five minutes with several other films I could mention. This, after all, is an amazing piece of art.

Charlie Kaufman has always put together fantastic and thought-provoking movies so I naturally get excited before I'm about to watch one. Anomalisa is another fantastic addition to his body of work.

Anomalisa follows Michael, who is tired of the mundanity in his life but soon experiences something special after meeting a woman named Lisa.

Apart from Human Nature and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I have seen every Kaufman film and loved every single one of them. Anomalisa is yet another film where Kaufman studies the human psyche and it's one of the best looking animated films I've seen. Since Kaufman doesn't have experience with stop motion, Duke Johnson came to help and the stop motion animation is visually striking. Despite being small in scale, the world of Anomalisa feels incredibly real. There are some impressive long takes where we follow characters into different rooms. Considering the challenges of stop motion, doing a long take is incredibly difficult so I have to praise the hard work put in by the animators because on a technical level this film is phenomenal.

This film isn't just style over substance because Charlie Kaufman adds so much depth and purpose to the characters and scenarios. This is a film that is sure to resonate with a lot of people. As of right now, I cannot relate to it as much but a few years down the line I may really connect with its themes. I love how interpretive Anomalisa is. It's not just a film you forget after finishing it. I still find myself thinking about the ending and other details. The voice acting is really good. David Thewlis does a terrific job as Michael and Jennifer Jason Leigh is absolutely fantastic as Lisa.

Anomalisa is another fantastic Kaufman film that's not only technically impressive but also humane and relatable. It's sad to see a talented writer like him struggle to fund his movies. I really hope he continues to write and direct more films as there is no writer like Charlie Kaufman.

I hate to use the word "pretentious" for anything because I like to understand the creator's intention before judging. Yet I can't find the real meaning behind this one. Yes, it is well made, it shows very realistic interactions, it shows the protagonist's mid-life ennui very effectively. But there's not much beyond this.

There comes a moment in "Anomalisa," from co-directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, where you stop fighting the need to try to understand the weird yet invigorating story structure, and surrender to all the quirks, charm, and emotional tension its displaying on screen. Hypnotizing in the words ad expressions of its stop-motion characters, Kaufman's screenplay is right up there with his top-tier works of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Being John Malkovich." If anything, it's as if Kaufman merged his brilliant writing style with the works of Wes Anderson and Spike Jonze, delivering a newly interpreted work that shows itself as one of the year's gargantuan masterpieces in writing. The less you know, the better. Watching the recent trailer that dropped for the film did it no favors as it presented itself as the animated version of "Lost in Translation" when its anything but. Simply put, it focuses on a man named Michael Stone, who has made a career about stressing the importance of customer service. When he takes a one day trip to Cincinnati, he begins to focus on the mundanity of his life. I've banged this drum too often, with some help from notable critics and viewers, but voice work has to be looked upon as a genuine performance, and you'll find just another example of it with the outstanding works of David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan. Thewlis' Michael Stone is intricate and calculated with a real sense of disparity and hopelessness. He envelops the essence of a lost man, attempting to regain normality in a world where everything is far too familiar and similar. Jennifer Jason Leigh captures the essence of innocence and perplexity, as her Lisa tries to make sense of a situation that can either be interpreted as fate or coincidence. Visibly broken, and aching to be put back together, Leigh enriches the morose yet intriguing nature of the film with zeal. It's one of her best performances and one you can look back upon as another staggering performance from a voice-actor. Tom Noonan where's so many hats in "Anomalisa," a chameleon transcending the inner workings of a broken man. It's a breathtaking performance, one not obvious at first, but eventually opens up in the most awkward but satisfying manner. When walking into Kaufman and Johnson's world, one of the first questions you have to ask is why stop motion? Does this have the opportunity to be interpreted in different mediums that could be more satisfying and accessible for the viewer? It's a perfect marriage of narrative structure and story. As an adult animation drama, you can see the freakish elements of films like "Fantastic Mr. Fox" but it is in no way for children. This speaks to the minds of adults. If you have ever struggled with depression, or have been stuck in the abnormality of a current state of living, the film may hit some very real chords with you. "Anomalisa" is an astounding achievement on every level. Exquisite and ravishing animation is on full display, using divine, subtle tones of color to capture the mood of a world all too distant but so uncomfortably close. It's single-handedly one of the best films that 2015 has to offer. Don't deny yourself this experience.

First Viewing:

Well, Kids, it has finally happened. Watching Charlie Kaufman's ANOMALISA was like being at Disney World for the first time. THE HOUR AND THIRTY-MINUTES went by so fast for me from how much fun I was having. AND HE DELIVERED! as usual. If you are one who is thinking that 'maybe after being out of the spotlight for six years', that maybe Kaufman had lost his touch, NO. not in the slightest.

This alluring and poetic stop-motion picture takes place in one of the most undervalued cities of the world; Cincinnati. Which is famous for its "zoo's" and "chili" supposedly. Michael Stone, played by the very gifted David Thewlis, is an award-winning author for a business-ethics book that is highly praised by all. Literally.. you will HEAR background voices whispering about. saying, "look, it's Michael Stone." Unfortunately, he is not too proud to be who he is.

Masks. (beat) We all wear them. But how far do we go to hide who we truly are in the norm of the world? — *A WORLD WHERE EVERYONES VOICES SOUND THE SAME.* — Michael feels as if he is living a lie. He is trapped! But it doesn't stop there. In my opinion, he is not one who gives-up easily. **ONE NIGHT, as he checks into an average hotel suite, he begins drinking; thinking about an old lover, Belle, INSTEAD of his wife and (firefighting) son at home.

Things begin to shift gears when a quasi-surreal occurrence happens after a nice warm shower in the hotel room. You see, the faces for these puppets that Kaufman and Johnson use have a very unique look that most "clay-nation-ers" choose to omit out. That is, the lines on the face where the animators can change their facial expressions; usually, these lines are covered up.

**One element that I want to first go into was THE SOUND. Now, I am no expert with sound department, but viewing this in the theater with the rumbles and echoes, it was like a dream.

This was a PERFECT FILM. I do not deny saying it. Part of my critique was based off my love for screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, but I am beyond that. If this was a bad film, I would say so, but for this brilliant storyteller, it is simply impassible. His poetically charged dialogue saves all and It is the main reason why I love the piece of shite. If it weren't for these passionate, lost characters trying to find themselves, I would not know where I am right now.

Thank you Mr. Charlie Kaufman

The film was based on the stage play. Originally it was meant for a short movie, but during in the production it was extended to a feature film length and ended up knocking the Oscars door. A R-rated stop-motion animation, which is the first in the history of the Academy Awards to get a nomination. My last stop-motion was the last year's 'Shaun the Sheep Movie', so that makes this kind of filmmaking is going extinct. For that reason alone, I just don't want to miss it out, as well as I prepared to enjoy every bit of it and so I suggest others to do the same if they find it interesting.

My expectation was quite simple which is entertainment. But usually animations are comedies, in that perspective, this is slightly a letdown. Wait, this film is for adults and of course the humours in this narration was delivered on its own style like a black comedy. It is a weird title right! But the film explains it in a simple manner. That's not it, there are more weird stuffs in it, like I was confused over the character voice tones for both the sexes and again the film had the reasons which will be revealed at a crucial segment.

It was something like 'Lost in Translation', about a middle-aged man named Michael Stone, who is on a trip to Cincinnati to promote his latest book. Slowly it unfolds what kind of person he's really and going further, his struggle in the married life comes the prime focus. So this tour opens a new door for him once again to fall in love which leads him for a tough decision to make. But at a certain extent, the reality check comes into play. About everything he's doing and all the life he left behind makes him feel he's trapped in some kind of delusion. His ultimate decision is where this tale going to conclude.

"Sometimes there's no lesson. That's a lesson in itself."

The camera never takes off its lens in its throughout narration on the main character, Stone. Right from the beginning till the final scene, the film follows him like in a real time. So the entire film was like everything that happened in a 24 hour. That's the character development you would get. Besides, there are scenes, like the sex part that may stun you. Because it was not like I have ever seen one, not in animation. Even compared it to the Hentai, Hentai was 2 dimensional pictures whereas this is technically a 3 dimensional, so the effect was much more realistic and the impact on the viewers definitely will be strong.

The real problem those who saw it to end up in a disappointment is that it's not your regular animation. Which is usually aimed for children and family audience, but adults too can have a great time, whereas this film had a very matured and sensitive contents. Maybe they did not want the display of the real life experience to be narrated with a bunch of toys. But in the perspective of stop-motion animation, it is a great artistic achievement. It is not only their anticipation that killed their joy, but failing to accept the fact that we see regularly in the live-shot films to see them again in a different format.

What I liked the most in it was the message regarding the main character on his suffering. When he sits in front of the antique he bought for his son which makes him realise himself on what he's seeking in others around him. But what's his delusion is that he thinks the world is not balanced, everyone are alike. So what he actually needs is a redefined life, in which this film portrayed how close he came to one before everything shattered.

This is not just a comedy, but a very real film for the people who wants to understand the life on its different stages and threat it poses where every one of us go through in our lifetime. Surely it is no masterpiece, but there's no reason to ignore on the subject it deals. It will remain one of the best stop-motion animation, exclusively made for adults. There are grown up who simply ignore animations, because they think it is too cartoonish. Undoubtedly it will be a good film them to try.

7/10

This is a small film – by which I mean it's not a great one. This is, of course, in contrast to all the critical praise which has been heaped on it. The word "masterpiece" has featured in many reviews, but I can't agree. I'd stress that I'm a huge Charlie Kaufman fan and my anticipation on going to see the film was equally as big as my disappointment after I'd done so. So what's the problem? I think it's the smallness of the story;yes it's about alienation,yes it's clever, yes the sex scene is achingly real and uncomfortable, but this movie has only a few points to make – mostly about alienation and the "otherness" of people – and while it makes them well, they don't amount to a decent movie. Thinking about it afterwards – and puzzled by the praise it has received and disconcerted by my own disappointment – I realised that if this movie has been made with human actors it simply wouldn't get the same sort of critical acclaim, in fact, it would be deemed dull, dull, dull. The thing which lifts it out of the ordinary – but not into the extraordinary – is the fact that it's told via animation. I urge anyone who loves the movie to try and imagine sitting through the same script acted by real people – it would be achingly boring.