HOLLYWOOD—This movie surprised me in more ways than I can actually explain because I didn’t expect to be left with so many questions long after watching. I’m referring to the dark comedy “A Different Man.” To be exact I don’t know if I can even call it a dark comedy, because in all honesty it felt like a drama, I didn’t laugh once and if anything it truly gets under you skin in an emotional way, but it also has aspects of a psychological thriller as well.
The movie starts Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan. Pearson stars as Edward Lemuel, who suffers from neurofibromatosis, where non-cancerous tumors grow on his face. As a result it makes him socially awkward and a bit of a recluse at times. He is an actor, and he comes across confident in his own skin, but the movie totally examines how the everyday person reacts to people who don’t look normal in their eyes.
I did find the movie as a brutal gut punch about society and how we treat people who may suffer from an ailment that is out of their control. We absolutely should show a ton more compassion, but the problem is we don’t and when we do, it is out of some sort of guilt or an attempt to be a savior to someone instead of just treating them like a human being. Pearson is fantastic in the role. You sympathize for his character, you feel his emotions when he is shun or ogled out in public. Even the quick stars he at times receives as he comes and goes from his apartment cut deep. The first 45 minutes to an hour of the movie was just breaking my heart repeatedly.
However, there is a twist because Edward is participating in a clinical trial to treat his neurofibromatosis. We see the character have some unexpected injuries to his face and in the process his face is injured and we start to see those tumors fall off; in a turn of events Edward’s face starts to come off and he becomes a different person. So much to the point people don’t know the new ‘face’ is actual Edward still. He keeps that to himself as he takes on the persona of Guy (Sebastian Stan).
Stan does excel in this role as we see the socially awkward Edward start to date, mingle, socialize with friends and find success in the corporate world as a real estate agent. He even starts dating his next door neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), who shows Edward some compassion and befriends him before he gets his new face. It was actually sweet to see, but as the movie progresses we realize these players that we think we know we don’t.
The most interesting aspect of the movie is the psychological torture that happens with Edward as he deals with this new persona and how he reacts to coming face-to-face with Oswald (Pearson), someone who reminds him eerily of himself. Oswald is very sociable and makes friends quite easily. It makes Edward question his ability to mesh with others and just live in his own glory. The script and directing by Aaron Schimberg is just amazing.
You become emotionally tied and connected to both Guy, Edward and Oswald so much to the point you question at times if Edward is fantasizing what he is seeing with Oswald. Is this all in his head because at times I did seriously question that? “A Different Man” is a movie that requires a second watch, but in doing so you are just as invested in these characters as you were the first time you watched. There are some scenes that are some headscratchers, and some that make you angry or disgust you.
However, I could not turn my eyes away from the screen. Pearson should absolutely be in more consideration for awards season than what he’s getting, Stan deserves the accolades for his twisted turn, but without his counterpart, Pearson, Stan’s performance is not as powerful. “A Different Man” is a movie that absolutely should not be missed.
