Movie #3383 ........................."A Different Man" (Max)

 Movie #3383 "A Different Man'" (MAX) Here's another AA nominated film, this one for Makeup/Hairstyling.  This is usually given to some use of artistry in the film dealing with makeup, etc. , and this film just might get it because it goes way beyond the usual --- in fact, the entire film goes where I can't remember any film going to..... I knew when I started watching it that it would be a story with its center a very facially impaired actor by the name of Edward who felt his face was preventing him from getting jobs in the entertainment industry.  And when you see him (heavily makeupped with an Elephant Man mask  as his face, you would easily  agree with him --- it would cause lots of problems in hollywood or on the stage.  He plays the victim to the hilt --- he avoids people, confrontations, life itself, really -- an example, there is a gaping hole in his apartment on the ceiling, but he lets it go because he doesn't want to "make waves."  He has a beautiful new neighbor who takes an interest in him  - says she wants to write plays, perhaps one about him.  Meanwhile, he is trying to find a way out of his disfigurement by taking an experimental drug ---- the parts of the film showing what he goes through when he takes the drug  are so difficult to watch that probably most people will turn the film off at that time   (about 40 minutes in.  I know i did at that point --- but I wanted to see where it would all go, so I ventured forward.)  i don't want to give too much away, but it sure is a "trip" to watch.  Most people turn away, I think, when faced with Edward's looks, but when you are forced to watch just that through the whole 100+ minutes of the  film, well, there's some adjusting to it and focusing on the story..... and this story leads to a lot of lessons that the viewer could learn -- and possible  discussions that viewers could engage in by the end of the film.  If you do end up seeing this film, I would love to find out how you felt about it, for sure, so please let me know. For those who probably won't ever see it, know there are still some gutsy films out there being made on subjects you never thought would be examined in film.  This is one of those out-of-the-box kind of watches that i'm glad , since it was nominated, that I ended up watching.  I don't recommend it, really,  for the faint of heart,  or unless you want to see something really different .  P.S.  this film garnered a golden globe for Sebastian Stan this year --- and this seems to be his "hot" year because he was nominated for both "Apprentice'  and this film for the Globe, and he's up for "Apprentice' for the Oscars.  Whew!  Quite a year!

"A DIFFERENT MAN"        Max     2024    1 hour and 52 minutes        R    

An aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance , but his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare.

Director;  Aaron Schimberg

Writer:  Aaron Schimberg

Actors:  Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson