Human Nature

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🎙️ EPISODE 432: 03.29.22 This has as much in common with goofball comedies of the 00s, 90s and even earlier than it does with anything resembling what we might call Kaufmanesque. Although, his sensibilities and styles do peek through, however fleeting at times (see below), this is as strict a comedy as it gets. There are obvious overarching themes that are as subtle as a sledgehammer (humans are just like animals, man), but it's all in service of the jokes, the gags, the spoofs, the LoLz, and they come in all shapes and sizes, but most notably of the visual variety. Like these various sequences with CGI mice...

To say that the CGI mouse eating little tiny salads was my favorite part of the movie would be an accurate statement. There's nothing egregiously wrong with this film, but I found the sum of its parts fill me with an annoyance. I suppose, simply, this is just a prime example of something not aging well, and there's no need to overcomplicate it. A few of the non-visual goofs hit, too. Like this exchange between Rosie Perez and Patricia Arquette about Tim Robbins's tiny penis...


Michel Gondry is known as a director with a distinct visual style, but he was struggling to get his footing in this one. Unique moments like this one were few and far between...


Similarly, Kaufman's footprint is minimal. Aside from some dialogue quips, his referential, thinking man's sensibilities are all but lost. However, a moment towards the end screamed out...


The strict definition of "simultanagnosia" is the inability to perceive more than one object at a time. But, naturally, Kaufman tweaks it to fit his own theatrical landscape. The difference between that and what Tim Robbins says might not seem like a lot, but it's in that sliver where Kaufman's built his entire career: dumbing down the smart stuff just enough, either with abstraction, half-truths or full-on lies. He eventually realized or — more likely the case — got the chance to not quite dumb it down this much.

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 431 - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 433 ⫸

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Human Nature is a 2001 comedy-drama film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry in his directorial debut. The film stars Tim Robbins, Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto and Patricia Arquette. It was screened out of competition at the 54th Cannes International Film Festival. It was released on May 18, 2001.