Anamorph (2007)

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

William and the good screenplay are the real good things in this movie,but this movie was something new and strong,against it's box office page does not shows it's quality.I have not seen a movie ending like this in years,this was enough creative,and just leaves wondering the viewer.The story is not too difficult,and in this film this will really help the viewer,average users can follow what happening,also the acting is takes the attention,as it's really important for me.While this movie will not loved by all of the audience,this was a very personal story,as mostly successful films today,but with a clever message this time.Anamorph is very fresh and honest piece of USA film-making today,and I honestly hope movies like this will be profitable movies in the future,and all around the world.The usual basic situation when a cop wants to catch a serial killer,was not ever as creative as this time,cause the viewer gets answer in a very strange way,but it was not truly surreal,I mean the situation turns to something deeper,and more interesting.I do not want to tell you more about the story ,cause it will destroy your joy to watching this film Give this film a chance,only cause this film is something fresh all the way,and cause this is really a personal story.8/10-I do not give 10-points,but I'am still really recommend this movie for everybody who want to wonder,also for those do not understand for first time.

Anamorph is about an ex-detective, named Stan (Willem Dafoe), who is brought back from retirement to hunt down a serial killer with a strange artistic fetish. The twist in this movie is that the serial killer is strangely similar to the one which Stan allegedly killed (a man with the catchy name "Uncle Eddie") a few years ago. This serial killer, like the allegedly dead one, likes to display his victims as Renaissance art and he even resorts to anamorphosis – which explains the title of the movie. While watching Anamorph, I liked seeing Stan and the art dealer (Peter Stormare in the film's only fresh performance) talk about art and serial killers. I even liked the scene at the end, with the mournful violins and the victim choking on his own blood. The problem was that the rest of the movie was dismal. The film never really got us involved in the lives of its characters, with the result that we never cared whether they lived or died. Watching Stan go through a serious depression and drink himself to death was boring. The other police officers were clichés, while the female victim at the end was not presented in a sympathetic way. These failings would not be a problem if the film had plenty of high-energy action sequences and witty dialogue, like Eraser (1998) did. Unfortunately, Anamorph is a grim, dark, and depressing film which tries to use atmosphere to make some profound statement about Stan and the other characters. The atmospheric scenes fail to do this, because Stan, the serial killer, and others are not interesting enough to be the subject of any character study. Anamorph is not like "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" which taught us something about the psychology of the serial killer.Anamorph has a fresh set-up with a serial killer who brazenly depicts his victims as Renaissance art, interesting dialogue from Stomare, and an entertaining ending. But I cannot recommend the picture, because the hero and villain are so boring and the atmospheric scenes simply do not achieve their aim.

First of all, lets assume that this is a thriller-crime movie and thus is to be interpreted in the context of Silence of the Lamb and other serial killer movies. Thats all right, I like the genre.What this genre needs is I think: 1) a psychological thread; a detective with psych issues, love, faith e.g. and these issues tend towards some sort of solution or elaboration 2) an intellectual thread; a complex, mind-stimulating, yet not too far- fetching murder case. 3) good realization; atmosphere that presents us the above two as (at least spiritually) real.This film accomplishes these tasks: 1) An obsessive+compulsive detective with affection problems, buried past etc. And there is "character development", I like the atypical disintegrating end which is barely relieved by the end title music. 2)An artist-killer is not a never-heard-of idea, but anamorphosis is good idea. I liked the way the murder cases interconnect. I liked the way this all leads to the past. I liked, that some characters say 'forget about the past' some say 'go back! its the same'. 3)atmosphere is good, music good, murder scenes especially good.Why did I gave it a 6? It is not original. Especially as for atmosphere creating, directing and filming. It is absolutely filled with clichés. There are original things are the character of the detective and the final...but maybe thats all... I still would say it is worth watching it, but it is just an other serial killer movie.

This story deserves a better director. Someone who understands the subject very well. The idea was really cool but follows the same platform of movies like Silence of the Lambs. Acting is nearly good. I think with a little more effort and time it could have been more interesting.There are too many co-incidences which spoil the mystery. The story is certainly dragged at places. And at places it makes you sleepy. The music is nothing great. Willen Dafoe tries his best to impress. So I think it is not the one to watch in a theater but its a good watch at home. Nothing Brainy about it. It won't keep you guessing.