Features Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
Plot
An aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to transform his appearance. But his dream new face soon turns into a nightmare.. Filmed in 22 days during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.. [last lines; to Edward] Oswald: Oh my friend, you haven’t changed a bit.. Much like Sebastian Stan's character Edward, for many years I was always the person that looked like another person.
This paralleled with my life and the film instantly drew me in
There was always a caveat of course, where it seemed like the person I supposedly looked like seemed more interesting, outgoing and well known amongst these groups. It's intriguing this film came out so close to another film centering around identity, that being The Substance. Where the satire and in your face boldness of that film will define its legacy, A Different Man's approach is much more pensive and sad. It reflects the unique challenges of men and women, where women are judged for their outward appearance and sex appeal, while men are judged more for their success and charisma (though sex appeal does play a part in this film). Edward feels held back and embarrassed by his appearance, and fails to see his worth in a society bent on looks and stature.
Even when he is conventionally attractive, he is still the same nervous, awkward person
What he doesn't realize is that his inner self is interesting and complex, but he can't harness that power in him. He acts how he thinks he should act in this role, rather than be himself. This is what makes the introduction of Oswald so interesting.Oswald is aggressive, pushy, and dare I say diabolical. While his outward features should be a setback in his life, his confident and charismatic personality makes him the perfect foil for Edward. He is powerful in ways that Edward can only pretend to be, pushing him out of a play about his own life, stealing his love interest and earning the love and admiration that Edward felt deprived of.
Does the fact I never went to war not make me a man?
Edward is so weak and overwhelmed that he once again tries to pretend to be something he is not on top of his false persona. Edward never truly accepted his true self, and it eventually leads to some troublesome outcomes for him.I definitely think this film is going to hit a lot of men quite hard, the reviewer included. With all of the discussions about what is masculinity or what even defines a man, it's difficult being our true selves due to the fear of being judged by mythical standards. Does the fact I am overweight and broken make me less of a man? People forget the pressures men feel in modern society, and we just turn off and sometimes disappear into the woodwork.
In retrospect, they handled it as best as they could
Suicide and death are approached subjects in this film, and much like in reality, they are brushed aside.I was definitely intrigued by this film, for we rarely see true deconstructions of the male psyche where the character doesn't do a complete 180 on their life and become a confident Casanova or something, or saves the day like every man wishes they can do. The reality is, most of us just exist and hope things turn out for the best. I wished the movie had addressed the elephant in the room, which was trying to portray a story about a physically handicapped person without making them a victim. I think they expertly dealt with that subject with some meta commentary at the end. I don't think they wanted that subject to overrun the story, but they at least addressed the issue.
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