“But she loves him for who he is. If he changes, then who is he then?”
This line, delivered by the character Edward during a meltdown, is featured in the second act of “A Different Man.” This film competed at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, and also won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival for Sebastian Stan’s performance. I went to a screening of “A Different Man” at the Bud Frank Cinema several months back, and it is truly a brilliant piece of dark comedy.
“A Different Man” focuses on Edward (Sebastian Stan), a struggling actor with Neurofibromatosis, who soon undergoes a radical and innovative medical procedure to change his face. Edward also has a neighbor, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), a playwright who takes inspiration from him for her work.
Some time after his procedure, until the new identity of Guy, Edward decides to audition for a play written by Ingrid, inspired by him, which, unbeknownst to her, Edward auditions for. Around this period, Edward first encounters Oswald (Adam Pearson), who has the same condition as him, although, unlike Edward, is the complete antithesis of him — constantly having a positive outlook on life. As Oswald garners more attention than him, jealousy and envy begin to brew within Edward, resulting in a downward spiral.
As the film’s lead, Sebastian Stan marinates in pure bitterness in the role of Edward, transforming from a reserved isolated figure in the first half, to a bitter jealous man by the second half of the film.
Adam Pearson delivers a stellar supporting performance as Oswald, radiating pure positivity and joy whenever he appears on the screen — a sharp contrast to Edward. The dynamic between Pearson’s and Stan’s performances is a showcase of how truly outstanding both of them are in this film as they practically feed off of each other.
Aaron Schimberg, the film’s director and screenwriter, crafts a psychological pitch-black dark comedy, garnering performances that elevate the material. He also writes a screenplay that is darkly clever and cutthroat, a character study of a man whose fragile insecurity and ego envelop him, with his life taking on a snowball effect after he gets the procedure. Along with this aspect, there are moments throughout the film that showcase society’s prejudice against those with disabilities such as Edward’s interactions with different people.
Wyatt Garfield, the cinematographer, captures a very distinct look with the film. Shot on Super 16mm (resulting in a distinct grain that visually fits the themes of the film), “A Different Man” contains a plethora of stunning shots — with one in particular standing out. That shot being of Oswald performing a karaoke cover of Rose Royce’s soul classic “I Wanna Get Next To You” at a restaurant in the second act with this sequence containing splashes of reds and shades of blue, and Oswald being encompassed in the latter along with being at the center of the frame. This sequence also cuts to a medium shot of Edward, with the camera slowly zooming on his face, with an expression of confusion and disdain.
“A Different Man” is a fascinating and at times hilarious character study into a truly miserable man whose own insecurities cause havoc in his life. With an excellent screenplay and stellar performances, Aaron Schimberg delivers a film that contains a razor-sharp wit and an unraveling that leads to genuinely unexpected places.
A different man, but with more intense insecurities.
“A Different Man” is available to stream on Max.
