Charlie Kaufman has written many movies that often make it into my favorite movies of the year they come out as well as my favorite ever.
Human Nature definitely ranks at the bottom of Charlie Kaufman movies, but is it bad?
Film Synopsis
An obsessive scientist and a female naturalist find a man who lived his life in the wild. The scientist aims to teach the man civility, starting with table manners, while the naturalist seeks to preserve his nature.
The naturalist, Lila Jute, had previously quit society while she was in her early 20s due to a disease that caused her to grow thick hair all over her body. In the wild, she wrote a book that brought her back to society.
The scientist, Dr. Nathan Bronfman, is a psychologist who researches the possibility of teaching mice table manners. A philosophical battle between the two mindsets sets in when they find a man raised in the wild.
What I Liked About The Movie
This is a lot like Being John Malkovich in its quirkiness. Charlie Kaufman's scripts always sustained that out-of-the-ordinary story aspect. The quirkiness of the movie creates an interesting aspect.
This movie actually outdid Being John Malkovich in terms of how interesting the characters are. They each contrasted each other in a quite fascinating way, they also played on each other quite well.
The philosophy of the movie is also well-created. Asking questions about human nature, what is artificial and what is natural in our behavior? Also, questions to whether there's even something as human nature.
It also offers a very unpleasant reminder of how human advancement might actually be seen as backward in comparison to animals. And it's all done in a comedy-attempting fashion, more on that later.
The acting is pretty well, and that's a reoccurring theme in movies with Charlie Kaufman's name. Considering how out-of-the-ordinary each character is, it is very rare to get a perfect 10 in casting. The movie took its time to make the casting and character development and it shows.
What I Didn't Like About The Movie
The movie is told in flashbacks. If you're a fan of that style, it's fine as they do it well. But, I have never liked movies told in flashbacks, and I also never liked movies narrated. It kills my joy as a viewer when I hear the narrator describing their feelings rather than letting me experience them myself.
The comedy in this film is just off. It's often off-putting and mistimed. What is attempted as funny, simply comes off as weird. I believe the quirkiness of the movie forced them to attempt more comedy rather than just having it.
Once again, I have a problem with the pace in this movie as I did with Being John Malkovich. Except, it is more apparent here. The pacing counts on the narration to fill in the blanks and explain any action. There isn't room to breathe in what's happening.
In Conclusion
Human Nature is a quirky, interesting, philosophical movie with great acting and an interesting story. The characters do hook you in to watch. But, it still has its share of problems with pacing, comedy, decision-making, and some logical issue.
My rating: 6/10
The movie is there, you won't regret watching it once, but definitely won't be coming back for another.