Anomalisa received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The story follows Michael Stone—husband, father, and noted author—who travels to Cincinnati to speak at a customer service conference. But once he's separated from the routine of his daily life, a chance encounter helps him to realize just what, and whom, he's been missing. Love, laughter, and loneliness align in this stop-motion work of art featuring the voices of David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan. (Gary Reber)
Special features include the featurettes None Of Them Are You: Crafting Anomalisa (HD 30:03), Intimacy In Miniature (HD 09:22), and The Sound Of Unease (HD 05:42); and an UltraViolet digital copy.
The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture nicely presents the amazing stop-motion puppeteering. Resolution is excellent, with intricate detail exhibited throughout. The puppets are dressed in miniature clothing fabrics that are finely rendered. Fleshtones also exhibit fine detail as well as hair. The production design textures are nicely detailed as well, such as Michael's hotel room and its typical decorative accents, the hotel lobby, the bar, and other environments. Color fidelity is rendered in warm hues with bright accents. The imagery appears naturally hued throughout. Contrast is excellent, with well-balanced black levels and revealing shadow delineation. Overall, this is a remarkable visual experience with intricate detailing on the puppets and their surroundings. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dialogue focused with a minimal sound design and limited surround envelopment, though, two scenes excite the surrounds with deep .1 LFE bass, which is especially effective during Michael's dream. Atmospherics and ambient sound effects enhance a sense of sonic realism. Dialogue, though, unusually male voiced, even for the women characters, is consistently intelligible with decent spatial integration, even though the dialogue is ADR produced. The music score tends to be subtle and in the background, but is nicely recorded. Overall, this is a nuanced soundtrack but well produced. (Gary Reber)