#anamorph

Day 19

Reflections on Anamorph (2007)

This is the movie’s synopsis is “A psychological thriller based on the concept of anamorphosis, a painting technique that manipulates the laws of perspective to create two competing images on a single canvas.” With this plus the all-star cast of Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman, Clea DuVall, Peter Stormare and many other loveable character actors - how could you go wrong?! Allow me to list the ways:

The concept of anamorphic painting is not introduced until the 1 hour and 19 minute mark.

The opening credits list Mick Foley (AKA Mankind) and Debbie Harry (AKA Blondie) in the cast, yet they are both have less than 10 seconds of screen time - combined! YOU DON’T LIST CAMEOS IN THE OPENING CREDITS!!

Maybe the director was trying to distract the viewer from how much the opening credits looked like a bad teen art project?

Sadly this has no relation to the Animorphs series. 

Willem Dafoe plays a straight forward alcoholic detective with OCD who is also an expert murder / art professor too? He looks especially dorky in this - they’ve maybe dyed his hair? He looks like an anamorphic painting of a toad ape.

Lots of gross shots of body parts arranged in elaborate tableaus as art. Why are so many movie serial killers just frustrated installation artists??

All the detectives in this dress terribly in ill-fitting suits. Scott Speedman looks BAD and this is only 5 years after Felicity ended. 

The line “uncle Eddie” is used WAY too many times.

Bizarre visual effects are used to denote scenes taking place 4 years in the past (see first photo above).

The hardened-detective-working-a-serial-killer-case-with-an-annoying-younger-partner story is so clichéd that I kept expecting a twist - something, anything - even a stereotypical twist! Maybe Scott Speedman was a figment of Willem’s imagination, or maybe they were in love? Maybe Willem was investigating... himself?! Alas, it’s just unimaginatively written and feels like it was intercut with a first year university art history lecture. 

Speaking of which, you should check out my summary video where past me (before i read Homestuck) summarizes Homestuck for people who haven't read Homestuck.

https://youtu.be/AV1a7BFnS7Y