Review of Human Nature (2001) by Dan W — 15 Jan 2009
On one hand it's Michel Gondry's debut. On the other it's Patricia Arquette naked for half the movie. A woman I've had a thing for ever since seeing True Romance. These two things should equal a great film.
They do not. Gondry's creativity and surrealism is there in full force, and you can tell Kaufman wrote it, though the film ends up being a little too ridiculous for its own good. The story tells the relationship between a scientist that teachers table manners to mice (Tim Robbins) and a woman with a rare body hair disorder that flees to the woods and becomes a best-selling novelist (Arquette).
One day while on an afternoon hike, they meet a man who has been raised as an ape all his life and take him into the lab. They give him the name "Puff" (Rhys Ifans) and attempt to train him into a gentleman, with the main intention to make money off him.
A lot of dumb stuff happens, and by the end I wasn't too thrilled. The acting by the three leads is sufficent, especially Arquette. And Miranda Otto is great as the lab assistant with a fake french accent.
Well directed and I'd call it essential viewing for Gondry/Kaufman fans, I'm just saddened I wasn't as into it as I wanted to be.
This review of Human Nature (2001) was written by Dan W on 15 Jan 2009.
Human Nature has generally received positive reviews.
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