Anomalisa (**1/2)

The face is allegedly the window to the soul, but it's no use telling that to Michael Stone (David Thewlis), the main character of "Anomalisa." Suffering from a self-diagnosed bout of psychosis in which everyone sounds alike, he wanders through life with a deep disconnect and a love for the drink. From strangers to those he loves dearly, the voice that he hears is a bland, male sound (Tom Noonan, brilliantly billed as "Everyone Else"). Making phone calls, he has to ask for people by name to ensure it's really them. As a Kaufman film, the story is right up his alley, and the continual resolve to discover the deeper nature of self continues to be a topic that provides him with ample subject matter.

Curiously filmed in stop-motion style (with such a heightened reality that at times I could squint my eyes and believe that I was really watching real people on screen), the story takes on a dreamlike quality even though the majority plays out in real time. Michael, author of a self-help customer service book, travels to Cincinnati to give a presentation. He checks into the Frengoli Hotel (clever) and decides to spend the night ordering room service and watching a movie. What he finds is anything but ordinary.

Just looking at the cast list, we know Jennifer Jason Leigh is the final member of the intimate ensemble in the title role. For some reason, hers is the only voice that sounds in a real tone. It catches Michael's ear from his hotel room. He runs out, desperate to have a conversation with an actual woman with a woman's voice. Lisa, a fan of Michael's book, is shy; fractured. A scar on her eye and embarrassed by the way she talks, Michael only sees a woman of innocence and timid beauty.

Again, the film is told nearly in real time, so we can imagine the outcome of a one-night stand. We learn Michael has had this type of encounter before, and we wonder what happened in his past or how long he has suffered from this condition.

I was completely memorized by the animation, by the faces of these characters. Three-dimensional in every way imaginable, there are striking moments when I was floored by a saddened reaction of Lisa or a sense of shock from Michael. 3D printing aided in the creation of these puppets, but by all means this seems like a revolutionary film for animation, slowly bridging the gap between reality and fantasy in a way I never conceived.

As we know, Kaufman is not one to shy away from unique topics (Adaptation) or cyclical love stories (Eternal Sunshine, or even Synecdoche). With "Anomalisa," it simply feels overburdened by concept and lacking in raw story. Adapted from a radio play and originally intended as a short film, funding for the picture stretched it to feature length and it quite simply shows. Aside from a few lines of insightful dialogue and a central scene of raw intimacy, the film trudges along and has very little to offer (even having been penned by perhaps the greatest living screenwriter). Where I was hoping to be inspired, the movie fell flat.

I appreciate the ending and the idea that one person's suffering can lead to another person's self-realization of worth. I admired the character of Lisa and her coming to confidence through a chance encounter with someone like Michael. As a movie, there are few films more creative this year. As a piece of writing, it's brazen and heartfelt at the best of times. As a whole, "Anomalisa" might just be a single flaw on Kaufman's resume. If I said it were an anomaly, would that be too on the nose?