A Different Man

"A Different Man is a brilliant comedy whose title suggests several meanings. The story begins with Edward (Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice), a man whose face is disfigured by neurofibromatosis, affecting his confidence and ability to connect in a world that routinely rejects ugliness. He falls in love with his neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World), a beautiful playwright, but when a miraculous cure reverses his deformities, he decides to fake his death and start fresh under the identity of "Guy." Things take an ironic turn when Ingrid writes a play inspired by Edward, and Oswald (Adam Pearson) appears, a man who, despite also suffering from neurofibromatosis, is charismatic and leads a full life. The title A Different Man could suggest that naïve, idealized Hollywood empathy for people with physical differences. However, the script and direction by Aaron Schimberg steer the attention in the opposite direction, focusing on our constant aspiration to be something different from what we are, unable to be comfortable in our own skin and, as Lady Gaga (supposedly) says, to accept what is."