Hardly anyone went to see Human Nature when it appeared in theaters last April. The kind critics suggested it was an admirable experiment by a talented team that didn't quite work. Others just said it stunk.
It's not Citizen Kane - or even Being John Malkovich - but I think it got a bum rap.
The film was written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) and directed by Michel Gondry, the French video director (Bjork, Massive Attack). It stars Patricia Arquette, Tim Robbins, Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto and Rosie Perez.
"Do you know what truly separates us? Civilization."
Ifans (Notting Hill) plays a man that grew up naked in the woods and thinking he is an ape. Robbins plays the repressed researcher who, along with Arquette, discovers him. The researcher specializes in teaching mice table manners (if they use the wrong fork, they get shocked). Arquette plays a nature writer with a hormonal defect that results in hair growth over her entire body. The two bring the ape-man back to civilization and he begins to learn about human culture. (View the trailer.)
"Remember, when in doubt ... don't ever do what you really want to do."
The film, of course, is about human nature - and the clash between civilization and basic human desires. It's also a memorable comedy sprinkled through with enough funny lines to keep college students quoting them for months. Ifans also does good physical comedy, especially with the electric training collar (although he learns to use the proper fork more quickly than the mouse).
But for the critics, it was too philosphical to work as a screwball comedy, but too much of a screwball comedy to be deep. One Hollywood.com reviewer wrote, "This is what you would call a "problem" movie--one that doesn't really fit into a particular genre." (It also pointedly ignored the obvious cliche happy ending. We know how the executives love that.)
And I suspect that is the real problem with this film: they didn't have a clue how to market it.
For those of us that like offbeat, even bizarre films - including those that don't completely succeed - Human Nature is a find.
(A version of this entry appears on the author's home weblog, Robbed By A Fountain Pen.)
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