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"Human Nature" comes from the creative mind of the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman ("Being John Malkovich"). Equally as outlandish and innovative as "Being John Malkovich," "Human Nature" features what could possibly be the strangest cast of leading characters in recent film history.

Tim Robbins narrates the story as the recently deceased behaviorist, Nathan Bronfman. With a tidy bullet hole in his forehead from which only a small trail of blood is still visible, Nathan recalls his recent past while seated in a blindingly white room. In life, Nathan's strict childhood with his adopted parents led him to become a behaviorist who attempted to teach table manners to mice. Seriously - that's what he did. He forced the poor little creatures to use forks and eat off of plates. Whenever the mice etiquettely erred, they were administered a shock. It's almost unnecessary to say that he didn't do well with members of the opposite sex - that's pretty much a given considering his occupation and the state of most humans' table manners. Nathan's short life as a researcher, and anti-chick magnet, brought together the interesting cast of characters.

Strange as it may seem, in this film there is at least one person who has an even worse time with the opposite sex - Lila (Patricia Arquette). Lila's main problem is her mane. She's got hair everywhere. Shaving doesn't help; the hair stubbornly grows back. Deciding that only the creatures of the forest will empathize with her, Lila packs up and lives naked (except for her thick layer of hair) amongst the wildlife. This lasts until loneliness sets in - and until she becomes a famous nature writer. Giving up a life without clothes, she returns to the city where best friend and electrologist, Louise (Rosie Perez), introduces her to Nathan the Virgin. Love blossoms, hair is hidden, and together they discover Nathan's new project, a wild man (Rhys Ifans) who they come across on a stroll through the forest (lots of important things happen in the forest in this film).

Nathan's beautiful, sexy French assistant, Gabrielle (Miranda Otto) names the new project, Puff. Puff was raised by his father who, believing himself to be an ape, stole his infant child from its mother and raised him alone in the forest as if he were an actual ape. Nathan and Gabrielle tackle the teaching of Puff in the most bizarre fashion; he is trained in etiquette and social graces rather than receiving a normal, rudimentary path of education.

Puff, Nathan, Gabrielle and Lila form strange attachments and pairings, with the product of one such pairing eventually resulting in Nathan's death. How it gets to that point is impossible to explain without revealing the entire plot. Suffice it to say that no one is as they seem.

Patricia Arquette gives what could be the best performance of her career, to date. One scene in particular is so unexpectedly hilarious you wonder where she's been hiding that comedic talent. Tim Robbins is brilliant as the restrained behaviorist who gradually turns to the darker side of life. But this movie's brightest scenes belong to Rhys Ifans, who portrays the ape-man with an overactive libido. Stealing scene after scene, he's simply amazing as the wild man who learns his place in society via the most peculiar teaching system.

It will be difficult for any 2002 release to top “Human Nature” in the 'bizarre' category, though there's bound to be plenty of unintentionally bizarre films. “Human Nature” is funny, original, and one of those films that even days later, mental pictures of the film still illicit laughter.

Overall Grade: A-

"Human Nature" is rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.


Director: Michel Gondry
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Ted Hope, Spike Jonze, and Charlie Kaufman
Written By: Charlie Kaufman
Director of Photography: Tim Maurice Jones
Production Designer: K.K. Barrett
Film Editor: Russell Icke
Costume Designer: Nancy Steiner
Music By: Graeme Revell
Casting: Jeanne McCarthy
Set Decorator: Gene Serdena
Art Director: Peter Andrus

Nathan Bronfman - Tim Robbins
Lila Jute - Patricia Arquette
Puff - Rhys Ifans
Gabrielle - Miranda Otto
Louise - Rosie Perez
Nathan's Father - Robert Forster
Nathan's Mother - Mary Kay Place
Young Lila - Hilary Duff
Frank - Peter Dinklage
Wendall the Therapist - Miguel Sandoval