by Some films strive to put us in the shoes of a character. And then there’s Aaron Schimberg’s biting oddity, Another mana picture that peels away chunks of pallid flesh to explore the overstuffed psychological baggage of Edward (Sebastian Stan, encased in prosthetics). An aspiring actor with severe facial disfigurement, Edward volunteers for an experimental treatment that “cures” his condition. He separates himself from his old identity and begins a new life as Guy (Stan without the prosthetics), a hot real estate agent.
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But physical beauty isn’t always the happy ending we assume. Guy is obsessed with Oswald (British actor and television presenter Adam Pearson), whom he sees as a happier and more successful version of his former self. Pearson previously starred in Schimberg’s 2019 film Chained for lifeabout an actress struggling to connect with a disfigured co-star; Schimberg, who has a cleft palate, is drawn to the topic of facial differences. To add another uneasy meta-level to this Kaufmanesque dramedy, Oswald has been cast in the lead role in a play called Edward, written by and based on Guy’s former neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve).
Many ideas swirl in this fascinating but scattered image, which veers into the surreal and macabre in its search for themes of identity, authenticity and the nature of beauty. Not everything succeeds, especially in the increasingly unsettled and fragmented second half. Still, Stan (who also impresses as Donald Trump in the upcoming episode The apprentice) is ideal for a man who feels chronically uncomfortable in his own skin, regardless of his external appearance.
• In British and Irish cinemas
