Product Description

From the creators of Being John Malkovich and starring Tim Robbins and Patricia Arquette comes a deliciously twisted film with biting dialogue wild twists and plenty of comic turns.Running Time: 96 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 794043572623

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22541 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.com
This fascinating comedy questions what we mean when we use words like "nature" and "civilization." Lila (Patricia Arquette, Lost Highway, True Romance), a nature writer who grows hair all over her body, falls in love with Nathan (Tim Robbins, The Player, The Hudsucker Proxy), a scientist attempting to teach table manners to mice. While hiking in the woods, they discover Puff (Rhys Ifans, Notting Hill), a man raised in the wild since childhood, whom Nathan seizes as a test subject for his experiments--and soon these three, along with Nathan's French lab assistant (Miranda Otto) are embroiled in criss-crossed love affairs as they (and the audience) attempt to figure out what it means to be true to one's own nature. Though Human Nature isn't as surefooted as Being John Malkovich (which was also written by distinctive screenwriter Charlie Kaufman), it has moments of startling comic genius. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Human Nature Is Funny and Strange; So Is This Movie
Remember "Being John Malkovich"? Charlie Kaufman, who wrote that strange movie, is the writer of "Human Nature," a strange but very intelligent film. This time the task of director is handed to Michel Gondry from France, famous for his music video clips made for Bjork ("Human Behavior" and others). But don't be put off by his profile because Gondry wisely avoids any flashy techiniques you might associate his MTV profile with. In fact, his fashion often seems very orthodox.

"Human Nature," Kaufman's newest produced film, deals with four persons trapped in a maze of love, or sexual desire (call it human nature) ... so to speak. As is the case with "Being John Malkovich," Kaufman's style easily defies our ready-made concept of movies, so I just tell you what you see. Tim Robbins (one of his best turn) is a scientist who spends his time trying to teach proper table manners to white mice. A nature writer Patricia Arquette, hairiest woman in the movie history, falls in love with him. Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest, a grown-up man (Rhys Ifans of "Notting Hill"), who believes that he is an ape, is found, and the Tim immediately got interested. He contemplates: "Let's educate him as a human." Well, after naming him "Puff," with a help of an electric collar and some nude photos, Dr. Robbins tries to 'cure' Puff of his nasty, die-hard habits of showing 'human nature' or sexual desire, explicitly in the public.

While the experiment proceeds, love relations got complicated as a famale assistant Gabrielle (played by wonderful Miranda Otto, seen in "Thin Red Line" and "What Lies Beneath," with too obvious French accent) is involved. The love triangle gets more confused after eventual inclusion of Puff, who slowly starts to change himself from an ape-like man with long beard -- Rhys Ifans at first looks like "It's" man of Monty Python shows -- and ... guess the rest of it for yourself. Anyway, Kaufman's creative power does not belong to the traditional sense of storytelling, and we know it.

Just like "Being John Malkovich," "Human Nature" is full of brilliant ideas, but the whole touch of the film is less outlandish than the other. Actually, you may say some scenes are direct parody of methods used in classic Hollywood films, and some scenes, especailly opening ten minutes, even remind you of films such as "American Beauty" and "A Life Less Ordinary." By saying that, I do not mean the lack of originality; rather, the director Gondry is cleverly challenging us with unique skills shown in these film, deftly using them to his purpose.

And the most amusing thing about "Human Nature" is its ever-changing relationships of love between four characters, among which Puff's sadly too human nature plays the most prominent role. The process of Puff's "education" contains funny, but very poignant moments, and what we laughed at loud in "American Pie" (my favorite) we see in a completely different light. At same time, the film mocks American values very slyly. See, for example, how Tim Robbin's scientist is easily captivated by a phoney French Gabrielle with dubious accent (and don't miss the quick change of her French 'room decoration'!!). Also of note are Robert Forster and Mary Kay Place's forster parents, whose dead-pan humor leaves us great impression in spite of their brief screen time.

This off-beat film probably ends too neatly after many elements are thrown in the film, but I didn't feel the film is confused. I admit "Human Nature" may not draw a lot of critical or commercial attention; it is a shame, though, because it is a very clever film, and even if it is not totally coherent or logical, it at least gives us fresh and powerful talent upcoming in this industry. For that only, it should be called something, something precious.

Puff Bronfman ate my Cheerios, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
without belaboring the plot, i'll simply say that human nature is a delightful film that really gets the rusty wheels turning in the run-down factory that my mom likes to call "holly's brain." rhys ifans, patricia arquette and tim robbins are a dynamic trio, and miranda otto's character, gabrielle, inspired me to finally read "sophie's choice" (excellent book, i might add). kaufman has a true gift for investigating the nuances of consciousness in a way that is both thought-provoking yet amusing. naturally, the midas touch of michel gondry earns this movie a place in any movie fan's list of bests.

If you liked 'Being John Malkovich' you'll love this
I got the chance to see 'Human Nature' in France last September and I have to say those who are fans of Gondry's work (Daft Punk, Bjork etc) will be far from disapointed.
Surreal, hilarious, visually thought provoking and inspirational, well written, excellently acted. What more can I say!?
Even though it's on limited release, make the time to go this, if you like a film that's a break from the norm and with an original (yet absurd!) idea go see. An absolute must.