Charlie Kaufman is a renowned screenwriter, known for his cryptic, eerie, thought-provoking stories. His latest creation, which he also directed, is the Netflix film I'm Thinking Of Ending Things. The film begins as a young couple drive through the snow to meet the boyfriend's parents.
Kaufman has written many movies, but so far directed only three. One of the others is the 2015 stop-motion film Anomalisa, about a man named Michael Stone. He's bored in his monotonous life until he meets Lisa on a business trip. Lisa is not like anyone else he's ever met; she's an anomaly. This is marked by her voice, the only female voice in the entire film. The two films are very different, but still share many similarities, some for good, some not.
10 ENDING THINGS: More Realistic
Not only is this movie live-action, but it presents people who seem real, which is ironic because they're not. In Anomalisa, only two characters are "real": Michael and Lisa. Everyone else is essentially the same character in different bodies.
Michael is voiced by David Thewlis, while Lisa is voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh; everyone else is voiced by Tom Noonan. Meanwhile, the Iain Reid adaptation features multiple characters who each think and behave differently, even though they're kind of products of Jake's imagination.
9 ANOMALISA: Easy-To-Follow Structure
Both films adhere to the classic three-act structure - perhaps with some alterations - but Anomalisa's plot is much easier to follow. It sticks to one timeline, even if some things feel a little weird.
Meanwhile, the Netflix film jumps from Jake the janitor to Jake the boyfriend, to a strange animated sequence and even a fake Robert Zemeckis film. This can leave viewers feeling confused and lost.
8 ENDING THINGS: More Complex Relationship
Jake and Lucy/Lucia/Louisa/Yvonne aren't even a real couple, yet their relationship is a lot more believable than Michael and Lisa's. They're also easier to root for because both characters are worthy of viewers' empathy.
Michael, on the other hand, only falls in love with Lisa because she's different from everyone else. The dynamic is actually reminiscent of the couple in one of Kaufman's other films, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.
7 ANOMALISA: Characters Are Easier To Understand
Because of the tangled timeline used in the 2020 film, the characters are difficult to understand. Jake seems to be a younger version of the janitor, but he might also be an invention of the janitor's mind. His behavior is strange and difficult to empathize with, much like his parents and girlfriend.
His girlfriend is many people at once, and she constantly changes throughout the film, making her even more elusive than Jake's ideal woman. Their motivations are unclear for the most part, while Michael and Lisa's desires are pretty easy to understand. Michael is bored in his life, and Lisa feels unwanted.
6 ENDING THINGS: More Characters
Anomalisa is mostly limited to two characters: Lisa and Michael. Everyone else is pretty much the same person, and they aren't important to the story, anyway.
In addition to the extensively fleshed-out characters of Jake and Lucy, I'm Thinking Of Ending Things also features some key side characters, including Jake's parents, Jake's older version, and the girls at Tulsey Town, making the film more interesting to watch.
5 ANOMALISA: David Thewlis
David Thewlis appears in both films, but his role is obviously more prominent in Anomalisa. He shines as the lead character, bringing Michael to life with a varied, nuanced, and layered vocal performance.
Even though these characters are puppets, they feel very real. Interestingly, at one point, Michael tries to lift the panels of his face to reveal what's beneath, but he's interrupted before he can succeed.
4 ENDING THINGS: A More Unique Structure
Though Anomalisa's structure is simple and easy to grasp, I'm Thinking Of Ending Things is more innovative and unique. The plot intercuts between Jake and Lucy's visit to the farmhouse and the janitor's dull existence.
But even at the farmhouse, time is warped. Jake's parents rapidly change ages, sometimes ageing, sometimes becoming younger. These changes are important to convey the true meaning behind the story, but they also make for a more engaging viewing experience.
3 ANOMALISA: Not As Scary
Perhaps because it's a stop-motion film, Anomalisa is not as eerie as I'm Thinking Of Ending Things, which sometimes feels like a horror movie. The characters and setting aren't real, and the general tone is lighter.
The reminders strewn throughout that none of this is real helps viewers feel that the stakes aren't as high. But in the Netflix film, nothing is certain, and the characters' mental wellbeing is called into question.
2 ENDING THINGS: Fun To Watch And Untangle
The strangeness of the film's tone and style makes for a rather exciting watch; viewers never know what to expect. The actors' performances are also very engaging, while Anomalisa can feel a little dull, thanks to its main character and limited setting.
At one point, Jessie Buckley's character impersonates film critic Pauline Kael, and at another, she becomes a film actress. Jake wins a Nobel Prize, and the last sequence of the movie is basically a musical.
1 ANOMALISA: More Optimistic
While I'm Thinking Of Ending Things might be a more exciting and enjoyable watch, it doesn't really send a positive message. In fact, the real message of the film gets lost in all of its quirks.
The film is easy to admire, but not necessarily to love. Anomalisa ends with the characters parting ways, but having learned something and grown. Lisa realizes she's worthy of love, and Michael feels alive for the first time. I'm Thinking Of Ending Things ends, presumably, with Jake's suicide.
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