A Different Man–Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder

In A Different Man (written and directed by Aaron Schimberg) a struggling actor, Edward (Sebastian Stan) has a genetic disorder, neurofibromatosis, that has given him disfiguring tumors all over his face and body.  Moreover, the tumors will eventually lead to blindness and death.  Hardly the ideal look for someone who desires to be a successful actor, Edward has considered suicide.  Enter a beautiful and kind aspiring playwright, Ingrid Vold (Renate Reinsve), as his nextdoor neighbor.  Ingrid sincerely wishes to be his friend, but Edward dreams of more. His unrequited romantic aspirations make him even more desperate for acceptance.

An opportunity arises to try an experimental medical treatment which will transform his physical appearance.  Motivated by twin desires–to be a successful, conventional-looking actor and to be a love interest for Ingrid–Edward agrees. The surgery works, and Edward suddenly finds himself with a whole new face. He decides to abandon  his old identity, claiming that Edward is dead and reinventing himself as “Guy.” He lands a part in Ingrid’s new play, which is a thinly disguised drama  about Edward’s life. A confident and charming  Oswald (Adam Pearson), who also has  neurofibromatosis, turns up at the theater and immediately befriends Guy as well as Ingrid.  

In an industry…and a world often obsessed with youth and beauty– Oswald somehow defies the expected.  He doesn’t perceive himself as damaged, but finds joy in his environment and those around him. And his environment and social life respond in kind, accepting him for who he is.   Edward–now Guy–is at first bewildered, and then enraged, becoming deeply disturbed that he has given up his identity to acquire what Oswald has managed to do without rejection.  

Questions are raised about identity, acceptance of self, about who we are on the outside and the inside.  When offense is heard, what hurts  one person can empower another to action and strength.   The  exploration of the inner and outer self in A Different Man is remarkable for its originality, its unexpected ending, and the standout performances of Sebastian Stan,  Adam Pearson, and Renate Reinsve.

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Note 1: Neurofibromatosis, an incurable genetic condition that causes typically benign tumors to grow on nerve cells throughout the body and on the skin and affects about 1 in 2500 people .

Note 2:  The actor Adam Pearson has neurofibromatosis.