Well, it's certainly not the uplifting cinematic experience the trailers seem to depict. In fact, Anomolisa is really pretty much of a downer. And for that, I was disappointed. But, that could be a matter of my expectations. Actually, despite being a strong fan of Charlie Kaufman, I left the theater unfulfilled.

However, on further reflection, a more fruitful interpretation of the film occurred to me. So read the last paragraph if you don't mind a spoiler -- or have already screened the film.

But, before that, one has to marvel at this animation - how wonderfully human. Whereas, the storyline is rather thin, quite simple (especially for Kaufman), and takes some time to gather momentum; the visuals provide plenty to wonder at. In fact, I even wondered if I was witnessing true stop motion at all. Perhaps the filmmakers applied some really interesting effects to live action. Or even a mix of the two? Either way -- careful artistic attention results in lovely, magical recreations of human interaction -- in a starkly drab setting - the contrast is pleasantly stirring.

Spoiler: So, at first look, I assumed this was a rather sad story of someone who had descended so far into the depths of his own ego that he'd lost the ability to appreciate the beauty of individuals. This alone, is quite interesting, but not fulfilling in a feature form -- perhaps, a poem, or short, then yes, but for a feature - I want growth. That, of course, is my bias. Anyway, here's my more fruitful interpretation: What makes the film the most curious is Mike Stone's desperate need not only to connect with a human, but to discover/uncover the reason why he had disconnected from humans in the first place. The aching for those two experiences is what connects this film with its audiences. Sadly, for me, when Mike disconnects from Anomolisa, the film disconnects from me. But, upon reflection, I think that we, the audience are given a nugget of wisdom to take home. And that is Mike's second aching -- the need to know WHY he's so alone. In the film, he appears to be oblivious to this, but we, the audience, are allowed to catch the clue. Anomolisa didn't just fade into the sea of human-clones. There were a couple of tiny, not so subtle, incidents that occurred just at the moment. Basically, Mike allowed her imperfections to annoy him, and responded with complete intolerance. This is why he's so alone -- because he simply couldn't integrate annoyances into the euphoria of his fascination. I like this interpretation, but there's a conflict in that he very beautifully had no such problem with her facial scar, or imperfect body shape, or bumbling-ness. Therefore, upon even further reflection, I leave it to you. I certainly appreciate the thought this film provoked in me and am curious as to your interpretation, and invite you to kindly send in your reflections.

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