Anomalisa (2015)

Directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman
Written by Charlie Kaufman
Starring David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan

Perhaps one of the more creative examples of the mundanity of every day life, Charlie Kaufman once again proves himself as one of the most unique screenwriters in cinema. In this remarkably crafted stop-motion-animated film, a man crippled by monotony of his life experiences something that causes him to find the joy in life.

The very thing that makes Charlie Kaufman stand out in the crowd of thousands of countless nameless writers is his ability to create a world that is relatable and familiar, yet simultaneously adverse and outlandish. He uses experiences from his own life that most if not all of us share and displays it for us in own dark and humorous ways. "Anomalisa" is no exception.

At first, what seems to be an odd choice of storytelling using puppets and stop motion animation, and an even more bizarre decision to have one actor voice literally all but two characters (in-scene music included), immediately becomes clear as the only way this story could have been told. This decision proves to be brilliant as it completely enforces the idea that no one, in the mind of the protagonist, is unique. Giving all of the secondary characters the same face was also a nice touch.

One of the tag lines written by a critique that the trailer uses perfectly sums up this film to the point that I wish I came up with it.

Matt Patches of ESQUIRE writes:

"The most human movie of the year. And it doesn't star a single human." 

That, to me, is a perfect summary of this film. While the choice of animation does create for some odd situations, the underlying message and emotions that the protagonists feel are 100% universal. Everyone has felt them at some point in their life and it is captured perfectly within the tiny sets and small characters.

It is of my opinion that Charlie Kaufman has outdone himself with this film. And I am curious to see how he follows it up.

My Rating: 9/10

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)

Directed by Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt
Written by Gideon Dafoe
Starring Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant and Imelda Staunton

A pirate Captain, named Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals and win "Pirate of the Year" with the help of his lovable crew. But when greed comes over him and persuades him to sell his pet Dodo bird, Polly, to the Queen of England, it soon becomes a mission to get Polly back.

You know, sometimes you just want to watch a mindless and fun movie. But when that movie surprises you with witty jokes and laughably bad puns, it becomes a great experience. Created by the company who made "Wallace and Gromit", I shouldn't have expected anything else.

There is something about stop-motion animation that makes it stand out above all other mediums. I'm willing to bet money on the fact that each scene is animated by hand frame-by-frame. It's just so impressive and I feel it doesn't get enough credit.

This movie is no exception. With beautifully crafted characters and sets, this is just another example of how stop-motion animators are among some of the most talented people in the world. Because it is such a pain staking process, I feel that many of them would not participate in the project unless the script was solid.

"Pirates: Band of Misfits" is a fun, adventurous movie with plenty of laughs.  It is light hearted and clever and I would recommend it to anyone of any age. It is truly a movie for adults and children alike.

My Rating: 7/10