Anamorph (2008) Movie Review

Despite having a very cool concept to the psychological/serial killer genre, Anamorph falters in terms on development, motive, and overall execution by its director H.S. Miller.

The film follows a grizzled controlling detective named Stan Aubray (Willem Dafoe), who five years ago rid the world of a suspected serial killer that use artistic ways to gruesomely murder his victims. After closing the case, Stan got promoted and now teaches forensics and crime scene composition to police officers. Stan is thrown back into the spotlight after a string of murders with the same fingerprints of the previous killer. Along with the assistance of his suspicious partner Carl (Scott Speedman), Stan becomes obsessed to capture the killer, who is either a copycat, or the one that got away. The title of the film refers to the technique that the killer uses on his victims. Anamorphosis is a Renaissance painting technique that gives the art a different meaning by looking at it from a different angle or perspective.

The cinematography in the film by Fred Murphy is superb, with the lighting of the crime scenes giving the film a much need eerie feel and edge. The gruesome murders are abstract and are give a lot of room for interruption from Murphy’s lens.

The writing and direction of H.S. Miller just gives the film no depth or pulse. Though Willem Dafoe delivers the goods as usual in his role as Stan, the script hardly gives him anything to work with. The flashbacks are uniquely shot, but never really clear in its entirety. There are also more questions with Stan’s partner that are never fleshed out either, is he on Stan’s side, or is he an internal affairs investigator? There is also a supporting character of Sandy, who is importance is held off for far too long. The killer himself is pretty much pointed out of a crowd towards the final climax of the film, and his motive is never even touch upon. Miller’s choices are also more disturbing than chilling or intense as a film of this genre calls for. One can not help but relate the content of this film to David Fincher’s superior Se7en, but Anamorph does not even come close in comparison.

As previously mention, Dafoe is strong as Stan. Scott Speedman does not have much to work with as his partner Carl, but he does try to make the most of it. Clea DuVall mostly slurs her words as love interest for Stan, and Peter Stormare tones his usual antics down a bit in his role as an antique dealer that helps Stan out with the case.

It is disappointing that this film does not hit on all cylinders, when it had a very strong concept for the psychological thriller genre. It is by no means a bad film, but it leaves you wanting a lot more after anamorphosis idea is presented. Visually the film is intriguing, but its script brings it down.