'A Different Man' Offers a Unique Perspective on Disfigurement

Now, here's a film that displays deformities without judgment or pity. Most films about disfigurement would play like The Elephant Man (one of my favorite movies, by the way). The film would be about a protagonist who's either abused or a recluse from society. They'd eventually be treated as equals by a group of people who stand for equality over prejudice. The film would end with a sad finale, making everything over-sentimentalized. There's nothing wrong with that type of story. The only problem is that it's told as a simple default plot mechanic that does little to establish who the protagonist is, other than someone we feel bad for because of their appearance.

A Different Man starts with retinal scans of Edward's (Sebastian Stan) skull; we then cut to Edward leaning against a wall, moaning in pain. As the camera dollys back, it's revealed that Edward is acting in a movie. We don't know what flick it is. When we find out later, it's an embarrassing reveal. We get the idea that Edward, despite his facial deformities, is a successful actor. It turns out that the opening scene is misleading. Edward lives in a dumpy apartment in New York City. Ed's surrounded by urban decay. He has noisy neighbors, his roof is falling apart, car alarms are going off all the time, and an ice cream truck driver argues with a man driving a parked ambulance because he can't go around him. During one pivotal scene that gives us an insight into Edward's psyche, one of the neighbors in the building hangs himself in the hallway for everyone to see.

Edward has a cute friend who lives in the apartment across from his. Ingrid Vold (Renate Reinsve) cares for Edward as a friend. But when Edward tries to show her the least bit of affection, she politely rejects him. Before breaking his heart, Ingrid asks Edward if he ever thought about suicide. Instead of just saying "no," Edward answers, "maybe." There's no value in Edward's life. He acts for a cheap infomercial; he'll never find success as a writer or love from a woman. That's until Edward is given a miracle procedure that turns Edward from what's deemed ugly into a "normal"-"-looking man.

At first, Edward's life is on the upswing. He drinks with some frat boys, has oral sex with a stranger in a dirty bar bathroom, and gets a part in Ingrid's play. I didn't mention this before, but Ingrid is an off-broadway play writer. Her friendship with Edward inspired her to make a story about him. Although things are going well for Edward, he's living a lie. Nobody knows that Edward's appearance has changed. For some reason, in one of the film's major plot holes, Edward never tells anyone that he went through an experimental medical procedure that cured his deformity. Instead, he goes by the alias "Guy."

Guy told everyone that Edward died via suicide; now he's the new resident in his apartment. Wouldn't the landlord find obituaries or funeral records for Edward? Wouldn't Guy's identity need to be pulled up? Did he get a new license? Does he think that nobody will believe him? If he had medical records and photos proving that he's Edward, he would save himself from a lot of pain.

The film is okay in its first half, but it really takes off in its second act. While developing Ingrid's play dedicated to Edward, a man who looks the way Edward once did enters the theater. Oswald (Adam Pearson) is a bright personality who brings life everywhere he goes. Although deformed, he doesn't let his appearance define him. It doesn't take long until Oswald begins to take everything away from Edward's life. Or is it Edward who lets his jealousy get the best of him? Oswald is everything Edward wished he could be. Outgoing. Highly sociable and surrounded by friends. Ed grows fond of Oz, but that fondness turns into contempt.

Edward had to follow medical science to make his life the way he wished it could be. Yet here's a man who's physically like his former self, who's nothing like him, and who possesses almost everything Edward wishes he had before changing his face. He may not have learned it until it's too late, but Edward's problem was never his appearance. It was his personality. He let the fear of others' perception of him get the best of him.

It's wonderful how this film doesn't define its characters by their appearance. A Different Man treats its subjects more than just victims. They're people with real flaws. Where we once felt bad for Edward, we're now conflicted with him. Is he justified in hating Oswald? You get the feeling that Oswald is manipulative. Despite all his politeness, Oswald is robbing elements of Edward's life for his benefit. Yet Edward becomes so filled with rage that his true colors come out. Edward was never the victim. Regardless of appearance, he would always be a self-loathing curmudgeon.

The theme of this film is similar to a movie I saw two weeks ago. The Substance, although wildly different, both movies are about protagonists who must learn to love themselves for who they are. No substance or drug can cure our psychological well-being. Edward despises Oswald because Oswald proves that Edward never needed to change his appearance to fit in.

The usage of Adam Pearson as Oswald is a magnificent choice. Pearson, who first appeared in Into The Skin, has since become a public figure, trying to remove the stigma of disability. In Into Skin, Pearson is an outcast of society. His character lives with his parents and has never had an intimate moment with a woman because people think he's a freak. In this film, his role is the complete opposite. Unlike Into The Skin, Pearson doesn't play a victim. Rather, he's changing the disfigurement stigma through his charm. Pearson's energy is electrifying, taking in the best performance in the film.

Sebastian Stan gives the most impressive performance I've seen from him since I, Tonya. In this film, he goes from sympathetic to unlikeable. In sympathetic mode, Stan plays everything like a shy, wounded puppy. You want him to grow confident so he can come out of his shell. When he does earn that confidence, Stan plays his scenes like a self-entitled psychopath who's about to go off at any second. It's a great performance, although I'd argue the makeup on Sebastian Stan in the first half of the film does some of the heavy lifting. It's Director Aaron Schimberg's script that breaks the barriers of disfigurement depiction in cinema, making A Different Man a different movie worth checking out.