Lately, movies seem preoccupied with the fluidity of identity, particularly when it's based on gender or appearance. A Different Man enters the “transformation” fray with a story that, like The Substance, links physical metamorphosis to larger themes.
A heavily made-up Sebastian Stan plays Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis, a disfiguring condition that turns him into a contemporary Elephant Man. Writer/director Aaron Schimberg’s screenplay presents Edward with a miracle cure to remove the tumors that bubble across his face. He’ll be ordinary, one more anonymous face in New York's teeming crowd.
Stan ably defines the pre-treatment Edward as a lonely, awkward, and reclusive fellow who lives in a dilapidated Brooklyn apartment with an ugly, threatening leak in the ceiling of its living room. Edward, who wants to act, appears in public service videos that offer instruction about how to treat those whose looks can be startling, perhaps even frightening.
When Ingrid (Renate Reinsve of The Worst Person in the World) moves into the apartment next to Edward's, he's offered a connection to the outside world. Vivacious, friendly, and sporting short shorts, Ingrid treats Edward without prejudice, although she may have ulterior motives. She's an aspiring playwright looking for a subject.
Schimberg takes full advantage of Edward’s facial alterations; after being treated with experimental drugs, Edward experiences nausea and pain. Bit by bit, he begins to peel diseased layers off his face, a sight that’s not for the squeamish.
It takes time, but the movie eventually leans into Pirandellan territory, tackling questions of illusion and reality and examining Edward's growing disconnection from his former self.
Schimberg accomplishes all this by introducing a play that Ingrid has written. She’s directing a production of her drama in a small theater way off Broadway, basing her story on Edward’s meager existence.
Edward, who changed his name and vanished from Ingrid’s life after his transformation, stumbles upon the theater and auditions for a part he was “born to play'' -- himself.
He lands the role, but another challenge arises.
Enter Oswald (Adam Pearson). Pearson, a British actor who really has neurofibromatosis, brings charisma to the role of Oswald, who charms everyone he meets. Oswald may represent what Edward could have been had he not allowed his disfigured face to turn him inward.
Oswald impresses Ingrid, and begins to take over the role Edward was “born to play." Pushed to the sidelines, Edward becomes unhinged in ways that can be darkly amusing but don’t always compute during the movie’s somewhat disjointed third act.
Cinematographer Wyatt Garfield perfectly captures New York fringe living: bad apartments, shot-and-a-beer bars, and the subway rides in which everyone strains not to look at anyone else. Schimberg also seems familiar with the aspiring “creatives” who occupy this world. In that sense, A Different Man can be viewed as a movie that only could have been made in New York.
Schimberg can’t entirely manage all the themes and twists he introduces. Still, A Different Man hits too many strong notes to ignore. It contains one great cameo, and its vividly drawn characters etch their way into memory.
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