Under the Skin

talisencrw 6/23/2021 3:57:50PM 8.4

This was a very bizarre and unique viewing experience for me. I greatly enjoy cinematic puzzles, and directors who have the wherewithal, guts and personal integrity to stick to their guns and project their distinct visions without caving in to corporate pressure or normal sensibilities. It is work like this at the cinematic vanguard that makes cinema the most aesthetic of all art forms and the greatest and most intrinsically satisfying component of my life. Though I have Glazer's previous two films, I have sadly not seen them yet, a condition I hope to remedy as soon as possible. A woman and actress of Johansson's beauty is perhaps one of only a select few currently out there who could pull this sort of thing off. And yes, this would make a remarkable double bill with 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'.

sickingupdaisies 10/29/2024 3:58:56PM 8.4

What a beautifully intriguing film. I can tell it's not for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed it beginning to end. It's very visually interesting with well executed practical effects and eerie sound design. Scarlett Jo does an incredible job in her role, she manages to sell being something not quite human. There isn't a a neatly packaged narrative that wraps up nicely at the end, so if that's what you want then maybe skip this one. I'd say it feels very suspenseful, without there being a release/reveal. Parts of it feel like a dream that keeps repeating. A dark dream that's not quite a nightmare; you're more curious than afraid. I don't want to spoil more, just give it a chance if you're open to something different. Maybe approach it as art, rather than entertainment. Enjoy(:

CinemaSerf 2/19/2024 10:44:17AM 8.4

Well hats off to Scarlett Johansson for agreeing to come filming in a wet and wintry Glasgow for this quite intriguing sci-fi drama. She drives around the city in her van, ostensibly on the prowl for horny young men looking for a quickie. Back at her's, though - and that's not always the same place - they find themselves in all together different sticky situation. There's no violence, or brutality - just a gentle, I suppose drowning, sensation. What is going on? Does she even know? Things begin to change after a trip to the forest that she encounters a gamekeeper who is more used to setting the pace rather than following. His attempt to rape her in the woods seems to act as a catalyst and... Now there is a conundrum here. Is her behaviour changing because of her human interaction, or is it the very nature of that interaction that is feeding her needs? Well that's a question that dogs this quite artistically filmed, large dialogue-free, mystery and maybe there just isn't an answer. It is fun to see a woman doing the predatory work here - her charms equally effective on even the chavviest of Glaswegians, and what I liked about the end is that I still didn't know. It's an odd film, this - enjoyable isn't quite the word, but it is certainly unusual.