Film Screening 20th August, 2003

Poster for Human Nature

Human Nature 

8:00 PM, 20th August, 2003

  • MA
  • 96 mins
  • 2001
  • Michel Gondry
  • Charlie Kaufman
  • Patricia Arquette, Rhys Ifans, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto

Those of you who saw Adaptation might be pleased to know that we're showing another film written by Charlie Kaufman. Some among you may be even more pleased to know that this one is actually a film, rather than something out of the po-mo plot-replacement generator. Though I haven't seen it, Human Nature promises humour, bizarre situations, very bizarre characters and some sharp insight ? and, by all accounts, it delivers.

These are the main characters in the film: There's Lila (Arquette), who runs off to live in the forest after hair grows all over her body, and becomes an acclaimed nature writer. There's Puff (Ifans), who is raised as an ape, believes he is an ape, and is quite happy to act like an ape in even the most (ahem) delicate situations. And there's Nathan (Robbins), who was raised so strictly that all he is capable of doing (it seems) is training others (in particular, teaching white mice table manners). Put these three together, add a cute French lab assistant (Otto) some singing, dancing, philosophising and sex, and you have... well, something only Kaufman could create.

Come on, you know you want to..

Helena Sverdlin