Rent A Different Man on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Aaron Schimberg
Directed by: Aaron Schimberg
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson
Rated: R
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Plot
An aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance, but his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare.
Verdict
This tackles difficult topics. Edward just wants to fit in and look like everyone else. While a surgery transforms his appearance, when he confronts his past feelings he's completely undone. That's exacerbated when he discovers someone with his prior condition that thrives despite it. Edward always tried to hide; from his condition and people. The underlying question Edward has is how can someone thrive with the condition. It's the question that unravels him, but the answer is that despite Edward's physical changes his insecurities never abated. Ultimately confidence and good fortune are about attitude.
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Review
You have to imagine Edward (Sebastien Stan) faces a lot of unwelcome attention which makes his career of acting surprising. We see him on the subway trying to minimize his presence, concerned people are looking at him. He meets a new neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve) who seems nice. Based on Edward's reaction, I'd guess not everyone is so nonchalant like she is. She's very comfortable with him, and he's hesitant. It's either from a lack of interaction or skepticism. I couldn't help but imagine what it's like to be Edward. We see how he tries to hide, avoiding any attention. He lacks confidence. Is the way he reacts to people, or the lack of reaction, due to a lifetime of ridicule and unwanted attention? Is this the best way he's found to react, ignore it?
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| Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve play Edward, Ingrid |
Edward gets a procedure that completely transforms his appearance. He abandons his life and becomes a real estate agent, renaming himself Guy. At some point later he happens to stumble across Ingrid. She doesn't recognize him, and he goes to the audition, more curious about the story than anything else. Ingrid's play is about who Guy used to be, something he had left behind. Guy gets the lead in they play because he understands the role, but no one realizes why he has such a thorough understanding.
Guy meets Oswald (Adam Pearson), someone with the same condition Guy used to have. Oswald isn't constrained by the anxiety Guy used to have, and Oswald doesn't try to hide or blend into the background. Oswald is everything Guy wanted to and wants to be. Guy may look different, but he still holds the same insecurities. That's the root of the entire movie. Guy feels like Oswald has everything he doesn't, and that's despite Guy having an operation to correct his condition. Guy can't come to terms with the fact that Oswald seems completely comfortable in his own skin. It's something Guy could never embrace.
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| Renate Reinsve, Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson play Ingrid, Guy, Oswald |
Guy is undone by his insecurities. He begins following Oswald and even trying to be outgoing like him. Guy loses his real estate job. Despite Guy's erratic behavior, Oswald remains complimentary, crediting Guy with his work on the play. Guy's behavior leads to dire consequences as years pass. Later Guy happens to encounter Oswald, and he can't come to terms with Oswald. Guy sees Oswald and Ingrid together, living their lives unconstrained. It's everything Guy wanted but thought he couldn't have due to his condition. Oswald has the condition and never let it limit him. Even with surgery, it didn't fix the root cause of Guy's issues.
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