A philosophical burlesque, Human nature follows the ups and downs of an obsessive scientist, a female naturalist, and the man they discover, born and raised in the wild. As scientist Nathan (Tim Robbins) trains the wild man Puff (Rhys Ifans) in the ways of the world - starting with table manners - Nathan's lover Lila (Patricia Arquette) fights to preserve the man's simian past, which represents a freedom enviable to most.
Special Agent Matti
Someone having a fit of angst. Why are we here? Why do we behave the way we do? Why do we treat each other so badly? There is a clear and strong connection to Adaptation, also written by Charlie Kaufman, both stylistically and thematically. Human nature is an art film as much about art (or angst) as it is about a boy raised by the apes. Along the way, it pokes fun at body fascists, adultery, victims, ivory tower scientists and men with small penises (if that isn't a tautology).
The cast are all adequate but none are A-list and some are Art-house-only, if that's the sort of thing you use to judge your films.
If you like Charlie Kaufman's other films (eg Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a dangerous mind, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind), you'll like this one, but you do have to like his threadbare, angstful, almost bitter sense of humour. He certainly puts himself into his work, which is something good writers are supposed to do (it depends on who they are, of course, some people don't have anything to put into their work but that doesn't stop them from writing).
MA 15 + (Medium level coarse language)
96 minutes (1:36 hours)
Film: 26 December 2002
DVD rental: 9 July 2003
VHS rental: 9 July 2003