Under the Skin

I am a Scarlett Johansson fan, ever since I saw her in "Horse Whisperer" in 1998. Realizing I had not seen this one yet, I managed to find it via the Kanopy streaming service through my public library's subscription.

It is not a mainstream movie, with a clear story and character motivations. It is a good watch for those who enjoy occasionally exploring alternative themes and filming styles. There is a vague opening, to suggest that an alien character has arrived and will explore Earth, in the process hunting down unsuspecting males. Scarlett Johansson plays the lead and is only known as "The Female."

All filmed in Scotland, much of it outside towns and cities in the unusual and mostly beautiful countryside. There isn't much action, nor is there much dialog. The film is atmospheric and attractive, and when it ends it is very easy to think "so what?"

I am glad I took the time to watch it but I will estimate that most lovers of clear-cut, mainstream movies will not enjoy it.

This film tells the story of an alien who takes on human form, luring young men into death by mesmerizing them into a pool of dark water.

I could not believe how slow the pacing is. I can easily watch it at double the does and not miss a thing. The first dialog comes after thirteen minutes into the film, and everything is super slow. It feels as if this film is designed to test the limit of endurance. The plot is almost empty, there is really only enough story to fill twenty minutes of screen time. Those eerie sounding sound effects are annoying too, adding nothing to the weird atmosphere.

"Under the Skin" is really beyond horrendous. I was bored thoroughly, and I wish I could get back my two hours of wasted time.

The problem with movies like this is that you have the people who hate slow, mysterious movies and it's automatically 1 star because there were no car chases or dubstep, and the people that feel they have to defend anything quiet and ambiguous like this and give 9 or 10 stars. "So boring" vs "You just don't get it, man". These types of films always only get 1 or 10 ratings. Really, it's not possible to make a so-so version?

Sometimes people try to make moody, interesting, thought provoking, different kinds of movies and just don't do a great job. This film was right up my alley in every way, but in the end I just said "meh". It wasn't awful, but it did feel a little dull and needlessly drawn out, seemingly because there just wasn't enough to say to fill the time. There also wasn't much to get, really people, it's not that deep or obtuse.

If there had been more eye candy (besides the obvious) I could have dealt with the other weaknesses easier. But I didn't think the visuals were all that interesting as a lot of people seem to. The whole thing was very film school and didn't totally feel like the work of a mature director, but if you told me it was a student film or something a first timer made on credit cards I would have believed you and said "hey nice effort, keep at it".

I would like to give it more than a 4 just because it's totally my kind of film, but it really didn't deserve it, and as I said, that's the problem with these kinds of movies, people voting for what kind of film they like instead of how good this particular one was.

How do you even rate a film when you sort of loved almost everything about it yet have no concrete opinion on what it was all about? It's pretty rare in cinema to find yourself constantly struggling with your very own feelings, unsure of which side to settle with for whenever a step is taken in either direction, something from the opposite end of the spectrum keeps bringing you back in the middle.

Under the Skin is one film that provides such unique experience. It is a mystical blend of horror, sci-fi & mystery that's easily one of the most perplexing, challenging & polarizing narratives to come out in years and tells the story of a mysterious woman who drives through the streets of Scotland, seducing lonely men into her van until one particular event sets her on a journey to self-discovery.

Directed by Jonathan Glazer, this is my first stint with his works & even though I'm still connecting the dots of this mind-bending puzzle, there were still many elements I was instantly impressed with. Glazer presents a Kubrick-like control over all aspects of filmmaking here & that's no mere compliment. Use of dialogues is minimal & even though the plot is sort of repetitive, it's never expository.

Coming to the technical aspects, Under the Skin is a work of dazzling beauty. The camera nicely follows its lead character like a silent observer, shooting locations are elegantly chosen & every single image is exquisitely captured. Editing lets the story unfold at its own pace & is never in a hurry while Mica Levi's skin-crawling score ends up encapsulating the whole picture with a very creepy, haunting & surreal ambiance.

As far as acting goes, it's Scarlett Johansson show all the way for the actress commands the screen unlike ever before and chips in with an unexpectedly impressive, audacious & intensely alluring performance. Trying to make sense of the human world, getting to know people for a brief time & attempting to understand a human feeling, Johansson is able to express all that through her piercing gaze & subtle body language with effortless naturalness.

On an overall scale, Under the Skin is too complex a film to be fully analyzed on the first watch but it nevertheless delivers a haunting, hypnotic & heartbreaking cinematic experience. Certainly not for everyone, it's one of those art-house features that viewers will either embrace or reject outright. A difficult film to review & an even harder film to rate, Under the Skin does manage to live up to its name by getting under your skin & is one of the most stimulating motion pictures of its year. Multiple viewings advised.

I implore anybody that has seen this movie once, and not liked it, to watch it once more. This time, however, take into account that film is a visual medium. Instead of expecting a narrator or a character to easily explain to you what is happening try paying attention to what is happening. Examine and truly THINK about what is expressed visually. The brilliant part about Under The Skin is how well it tells a story without dialog, without running commentary, and without the central character saying much at all.

Think about the purpose of what the female character is doing. The entire story tells itself so easily if you let it. The problem with the modern movie-goer, and admittedly myself, is that we want things explained to us. We're happy to be treated like ignorant flatheads that don't know our butts from our elbows. Look at any other review here on IMDb and pay close attention to what is being criticized. They are mostly the same things over and over again.

They don't criticize what is conveyed through the film's imagery. Instead, they say things like "Not enough was explained." "This film had no plot." "The movie went nowhere." or "Nothing happened." At the risk of sounding smug, I will say that these people are looking for the wrong things in this movie, or any movie. When going into any new film it's important to remember the medium you're choosing to entertain you. It's not like a book on tape, or music. Movies can explain the plot, story, character motivations, and roles without having to have a character, or narrator explain it to you.

I was one of those people that didn't "get" this film and gave it an extremely low rating of 1 star. But I decided to change to a 7 after much reflection on the content and thoughts it provoked afterward. After reading over 5 or 6 positive I got curious. Why do so many people think this movie is fantastic and innovative? I implore you to look up the video review by Renegade Cut.

This one video, in addition to Under The Skin, made me rethink what I think a movie should be. It can be artistic, and different, and entertaining without following the well established formula for modern movies. Personally, I feel like people in general are too harsh. A one star rating should be reserved for terrible films, with nothing to say at all. Well, that's not this film. It certainly has plenty to say about what it's like to be an outsider, and what a gift it truly is to be human.

A one star rating should be reserved for the most thoughtless trash in existence. This isn't even close to that. Was it for me? No, but I certainly "get" it. I get what the message is, and what it was trying to do. That I had to think to myself "What did I just watch?" was enough for a 7 star rating. It made me think, re-evaluate, and wonder. As much as I like Guardians of the Galaxy, or Indiana Jones, I have to ask myself "Did either one of those films make me feel this way?" No, they didn't.

And also, do films necessarily have to be for entertainment? To which I also say no. Films can be about raising a question, or provoking a thought, or experiencing emotions. Maybe the tedium of a scene evokes boredom, but what if that's the point of the scene being shown? Look past your eyes, think about what the director's intent was, and I think you'll enjoy this one way more on a repeat viewing.