Some movies try to get us under the skin of the characters. And Aaron Simberg’s modern wonder A Different Man peels back the graphic flesh to explore the overstuffed psychological baggage of Edward (Sebastian Stan encased in prosthetic limbs). . Edward, an aspiring actor with a severe facial injury, volunteers for an experimental treatment to “cure” his condition. He breaks ties with his old identity and begins a new life as Guy (Stan, minus the prosthetic leg), a hotshot real estate agent.
However, physical beauty does not always have the happy ending that we assume. Guy becomes infatuated with Oswald (British actor and TV presenter Adam Pearson), whom he considers to be a happier, more successful version of his former self. Pearson previously appeared in Simberg’s 2019 film Chained for Life, about an actress struggling with her relationship with a damaged co-star. Schimberg, who has a cleft palate, is drawn to the theme of facial differences. To add an even more disturbing meta layer to this Kaufmanesque drama, Oswald is cast in the lead role in a play titled Edward, written by Guy’s former neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve) and based on him. Ta.
In a quest to explore themes of identity, authenticity, and the nature of beauty, ideas abound in this intriguing yet scattered photograph that veers into the surreal and eerie. are flying around. Not all of it lands well, especially in the increasingly unsettling and fragmented second half. Still, Stan (who also makes a good impression as Donald Trump in the upcoming The Apprentice) excels as a man chronically uncomfortable with his true nature, no matter what he looks like.
In cinemas in the UK and Ireland
