Human Nature
Comments: 3
“Human Nature”
Directed by Michel Gondry. Written by Charlie Kaufman.
Tim Robbins, Patricia Arquette, Rhys Ifans, Mary Kay Place.
2001, USA. 96 min.
I saw this on tape last night and was expecting big things. Charlie Kaufman wrote “Being John Malkovich,” the brilliantly nutty (if ultimately meaningless) surprise hit of 1999 which I just loved. Spike Jonze, who directed “Being John Malkovich,” is listed as a producer here (as is Kaufman) but the directing job was given to Michel Gondry (who has done music videos for Björk I believe, not that I’ve seen any). This was probably not a mistake as such, but it certainly looks like one after having watched the film. The real mistake was thinking that this script was ready to go into production. It wasn’t. I doubt any director or cast could have made it fly.
Tim Robbins plays Nathan Bronfman, a behavioural scientist who is trying to teach table manners to mice after growing up in a repressive household with an etiquette-obsessed mother (the brilliant Mary Kay Place). He can’t see the connection between his upbringing and his life’s work, much to the chagrin of his therapist, and we can’t seem to care (beyond a couple of good laughs at the expense of the mouse who chooses the wrong fork). This is the wrong sort of comedy for Robbins who has trouble making the character even two-dimensional. With some of the wit and verbal inventiveness of “Malkovich” he may have had something to grab onto, but here he just seems out of place.
Bronfman falls in love with Lila (Patricia Arquette, waaaay out of her depth), a woman covered with hair who has written a best-selling feminist nature book after living alone in the forest. Somehow she integrates back into civilisation willingly enough so that her electrolysis specialist (the therapist’s sister) hooks her up with Bronfman. [Really, is there any point at all trying to summarise a Kaufman script?]
On a walk in the forest Nathan and Lila find Puff, a man who has lived all his life in the forest after being kidnapped by his delusional father, who thought they were apes. Nathan sets about ‘civilising’ Puff, while Gabrielle (his lab assistant played by Miranda Otto) sets her sights on Nathan.
Hilarity ensues. Well, not exactly. There are a few good laughs (most courtesy of Rhys Ifnas who plays Puff and who seems to be the only one comfortable with the material) but none of the characters come to life at all and the film feels stilted, like it should be longer to properly play out some of the ideas (none of which are original, mind you, but never mind). Whereas “Being John Malkovich” left me with a feeling of having seen something whole and complete, something so fully realised it didn’t matter if it made no sense, “Human Nature” was entertaining enough but left me feeling like I’d just eaten a very nice meal made entirely out of air.
For a somewhat more generous review (albeit laced with a similar frustration), see Andrew O’Hehir in Salon.
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Posted to Film • 2002.11.25 (Mon) • 21:58
Comments
Posted by Anita Rowland 2002.11.26, 00:37
I’m very fond of Miranda Otto — I’d like to see her get more work (or movies with a bigger release).
Posted by Michael 2002.11.26, 00:49
Michael Gondry has also made quite a few video clips for the Chemical Brothers, and they are always quite amazing… He also did the clip for the White Stripes “Fell In Love With A Girl”, which was made out of Lego, and won “Breakthrough Video” at the MTV Video Music Awards!
Posted by jh 2002.11.26, 12:49
Anita — Mirando Otto had some wicked little moments in the film. The barely-concealed look of glee she shoots Nathan as she administers the electric shocks to the mouse is hilarious. Her father, Barry Otto, is one of the best actors in Australia. If you can find a copy of “Bliss” (the adaptation of the Peter Carey novel directed by Ray Lawrence) you should definitely rent it.
Michael — I’m downloading that link as we speak. Thanks!
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