A man with a severe facial deformity undergoes a radical procedure to make him normal, but after he becomes a brand new man, he finds himself haunted by his decision when he meets a man with a similar abnormality.   Directed by Aaron Schimberg, A24’s A Different Man follows Edward (played by Sebastian Stan, who spends the first portion of the film under the impressive make-up work of Michael Marino), an actor suffering from neurofibromatosis type I, which causes extreme growths to form on his head and face to the point of disfigurement. His facial deformity causes Edward to shy away from people in fear of their wrath, avoiding neighbors on stairwells and hiding behind hats on subways. But when he makes the acquaintance of chatterbox playwright Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), she becomes the catalyst for his need to change, allowing Edward to partake in an experimental drug trial that transforms him completely.  After brief moments of body horror, Edward is able to discard his old visage and become an average man — nay, a great-looking man — and immediately begins partaking in everyday rituals from which he was previously excluded. Telling his doctors and neighbors that Edward is dead, he rechristens himself Guy and leaves his old life behind, finding success as a new man. But years later, Edward/Guy discovers Ingrid has written a play about her “deceased” neighbor and he feels compelled to star in her story about his life.  Enter Oswalt, played by Adam Pearson — Pearson, in real life, suffers from the same facial disfigurement Edward once bore. But instead of hiding in shame, Oswalt is everything Edward could never be: funny, charming, outgoing, and worst of all, a better actor. Now as Guy, Edward is forced to watch someone else excel at living his life better than he ever could.  A Different Man has all the earmarks of the type of quirky character piece fans have come to expect from A24: outlandish, slightly unlikable characters must face obstacles of their own making while dealing with a menagerie of oddballs in familiar settings. Although A Different Man will confound many with its bleak twists and polarizing take on humanity, Stan’s performance in the surrealist outing is stellar. His large shifts in disposition match his equally considerable visual transposition. Stan carefully guides the audience through his transitions, from a shy outcast emoting dejection through heavy makeup to his brief moment of happiness as he rejoins the human race and partakes in its frivolities — until his resentment and jealousy take over. Stan’s performance carries the wild and unique story of a tragic character of his own making, due to his inability to embrace himself.  A Different Man is a narrative built on a paradox: a man afraid of people fixes his broken face only to become envious of a man with a similar affliction. He is the latest of complicated cinematic Mr. Bungles like Craig Schwartz from Being John Malkovich or Paul Matthews in Dream Scenario who have become cautionary tales about flying too close to the sun on borrowed wings, or rather, revel in the achievement of unearned accomplishment. The result is a strange, singular, and sometimes cynical cinematic experience made meaningful by the performance of its star.  The post Review: ‘A Different Man’ Is A Different, Unique Film appeared first on LA Weekly.