Under the Skin (2013)
Country: GB
Technical: col 108m
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Cast: Scarlett Johansson
Synopsis:
An alien probe, supervised by motorcycle outriders, is sent into suburban Glasgow in the shape of a comely young woman to prey on the lifeforce of solitary males; but she experiments, malfunctions, and succumbs to the human emotions of pity and fear.
Review:
A mesmerising film, quite unlike anything else you have seen, or heard, though the adjectives 'Kubrickian' and 'Lynchian' might be justifiably applied. Nothing whatever is explained, nor is there much in the way of dialogue beyond the creature's winsome attempts at chatting up her prospective victims (apparently at times unsuspecting members of the Scottish public). However ignorant of her inner state we might be, she remains the only figure with which to identify and we ultimately feel pity at her fate. The casting of Johansson is a notable coup in this respect, first because her gorgeousness sets her apart from her very ordinary looking - and sounding - prey, but also because we 'know' her in a way we do not know them, as if she were her character from Lost in Translation, thrown into an incomprehensible world. Is she a metaphor for the increased isolation of human sexual relations via the Internet? Why else does she seek out isolated young men? In this respect Johansson is akin to the image of herself, unattainable and to be thrown away when no longer conforming to the idealised, desirous predator. How brave of her, then, to reveal her own skin for the first time so completely in this movie!
Country: GB
Technical: col 108m
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Cast: Scarlett Johansson
Synopsis:
An alien probe, supervised by motorcycle outriders, is sent into suburban Glasgow in the shape of a comely young woman to prey on the lifeforce of solitary males; but she experiments, malfunctions, and succumbs to the human emotions of pity and fear.
Review:
A mesmerising film, quite unlike anything else you have seen, or heard, though the adjectives 'Kubrickian' and 'Lynchian' might be justifiably applied. Nothing whatever is explained, nor is there much in the way of dialogue beyond the creature's winsome attempts at chatting up her prospective victims (apparently at times unsuspecting members of the Scottish public). However ignorant of her inner state we might be, she remains the only figure with which to identify and we ultimately feel pity at her fate. The casting of Johansson is a notable coup in this respect, first because her gorgeousness sets her apart from her very ordinary looking - and sounding - prey, but also because we 'know' her in a way we do not know them, as if she were her character from Lost in Translation, thrown into an incomprehensible world. Is she a metaphor for the increased isolation of human sexual relations via the Internet? Why else does she seek out isolated young men? In this respect Johansson is akin to the image of herself, unattainable and to be thrown away when no longer conforming to the idealised, desirous predator. How brave of her, then, to reveal her own skin for the first time so completely in this movie!
Country: GB
Technical: col 108m
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Cast: Scarlett Johansson
Synopsis:
An alien probe, supervised by motorcycle outriders, is sent into suburban Glasgow in the shape of a comely young woman to prey on the lifeforce of solitary males; but she experiments, malfunctions, and succumbs to the human emotions of pity and fear.
Review:
A mesmerising film, quite unlike anything else you have seen, or heard, though the adjectives 'Kubrickian' and 'Lynchian' might be justifiably applied. Nothing whatever is explained, nor is there much in the way of dialogue beyond the creature's winsome attempts at chatting up her prospective victims (apparently at times unsuspecting members of the Scottish public). However ignorant of her inner state we might be, she remains the only figure with which to identify and we ultimately feel pity at her fate. The casting of Johansson is a notable coup in this respect, first because her gorgeousness sets her apart from her very ordinary looking - and sounding - prey, but also because we 'know' her in a way we do not know them, as if she were her character from Lost in Translation, thrown into an incomprehensible world. Is she a metaphor for the increased isolation of human sexual relations via the Internet? Why else does she seek out isolated young men? In this respect Johansson is akin to the image of herself, unattainable and to be thrown away when no longer conforming to the idealised, desirous predator. How brave of her, then, to reveal her own skin for the first time so completely in this movie!