A Different Man: Sebastian Stan has had a busy year, certainly with filming in 2023, and then releasing of movies in 2024. He starred as Donald Trump in The Apprentice, recently reviewed by me, and also got a Golden Globe nomination and victory for his role in this 2024 release. Directed by Aaron Schimberg, it tells the fictional story of a New York actor, Edward, who has a disfigurement similar but not as extreme as John Merrick from The Elephant Man movie. Proteus syndrome is what John Merrick suffered from, but he had the added complication that his mother, according to the movie was injured by an elephant when she was pregnant in the late 1850s. Here in modern times, Edward is an actor working in a play. His lives in an apartment building alone, and keeps mostly to himself. He is used to people acting badly around him, and not knowing how to react. A new woman rents in his building and she seems fairly interested in him. She, named Ingrid and played by The Worst Person in the World actress Renate Reinsve, is a playwrite and wanting to do a play with someone with Edward’s skills. In time Edward when visiting a doctor is told that the doctor knows of someone who doing some experimental testing on looking to find a cure for his ailment.

In an emotional moment, Edward decided because he felt like an outsider, and not fully enjoying life that he would try the procedure.

There is an element of “body horror” in this movie too, which I won’t disclose fully, but it is a transformative moment for Edward where he is no longer physically different from others, and in fact he is quite handsome. It is difficult for him to adjust to people reacting so differently to him, and especially women. However, his role in the play as written for him, is something he no longer appears outwardly ready to capture, from the playwrite/neighbour’s perspective. In her mind, Edward just disappeared. The story continues.

This is a fable, and one which delivers the old adage “be careful what you wish for, you might just get it”. For all purposes, it would appear that Edward has won the lottery and his life can now be lived fully. But some elements of his old life, he yearns for, like his neighbour, and the acting gig. He has become a successful real estate agent, as it seems you only need looks to be successful in that in NYC. But this movie carries that theme to an extreme to make a point, and look to be entertaining. I think it doesn’t make a lot of sense that this situation would happen, as most people outwardly may embrace the new reality for Edward. But maybe that is me, putting my only narrow lens onto Edward, and how I would want to look more like everyone else. Maybe, but I think it would be very unusual for an Ingrid to embrace Edward and then later the new actor Oswald, who shares in Edward’s affliction, in the way that she does. Once again, it seems exaggerated to make the point, and impact Edward most profoundly. I liked this. I thought that Stan did a very good job at revealing the complex emotions and feelings of Edward. People want to be love and accepted and acknowledged for who they are. Edward is no exception. But when his perceived dreams are seemingly granted, the story turns to provide a moral. This is worth seeing. I saw it it on Crave. I am not sure whether this Award worthy from Stan but the Golden Globe is his. Ironically Stan was nominated in The Apprentice for an Oscar and not this role. Check them both out and judge for yourself which one you thought was most deserving.

Silo Season 2: I have just begun getting into season 2 of Silo with Rebecca Ferguson. This season takes two directions, as the now exiled Ferguson sherriff is outside the original silo, and then there are the happenings within that silo for those that remain. The inhabitants of the original silo are not sure whether Ferguson’s Juliette Nichols is alive or dead. But it is creating dissention in the ranks as many believe that she is alive and that they are being lied to by the powers that be.

There is a good cast with Ferguson joined with Tim Robbins, Steve Zahn and Rashida Jones and Common. I will continue to watch this and see where it goes. Between this and Yellowstone on Netflix, there is plenty of content to watch. Stay tuned for more fulsome reviews.