luar0863

"Under the Skin" is a film that studies us through eyes that aren't human.

An alien (Scarlett Johansson) wanders through Scotland, luring men in an empty game of seduction, no emotion, no empathy, like an insect obeying its instinct. She stares into mirrors, touches her own face, but doesn't seem to 'recognize' anything. No smiles, just cold curiosity.

The beach scene says it all: as a family drowns, she watches without reacting. It's not cruelty, it's as if she doesn't even understand what she's seeing. But slowly, something shifts. She hesitates, touches her own body with confusion, notices how men look at her. And suddenly, the hunter becomes prey.

By the end, she's no longer the same. She didn't become human, but she can't go back to what she was either. When they try to tear off her skin, it's as if, for the first time, she 'feels', and by then, it's too late.

"Forty Shades of Blue" is one of those films that I enjoy but feel could have been even better. It seems to me that the editing lacks one or two additional moments to enhance the flow between scenes, making the narrative more cohesive. Even so, I liked the experience and gave it 3 stars. However, it leaves the impression that, with a few small adjustments, it could have earned a higher rating.

The theme is intriguing, exploring a delicate family dynamic-the romantic involvement of a son with his father's young wife. It's a situation that, realistically, could only be resolved through a family rupture, yet that rupture never truly happens. The film handles this complexity with subtlety, making it all the more thought-provoking. The way it navigates the ambiguity of human relationships is engaging and forces us to reflect on how far the real world is from perfection.

The River, by Tsai Ming-Liang, is a film that overflows with pain but also with fascinating subtleties, some of them unsettling. With a bold approach, it pushes the boundaries of the conventional, diving into a universe of unease and melancholy. The family dynamic is central: a repressed father, a mother consumed by loneliness, and a son whose physical pain becomes an opening for something deeper and more disturbing. It is a breathtaking cinematic experience, both hypnotic and haunting.

Still, amidst this whirlwind of suffering, the vibrator always provided some relief for the neck pain. Great movie!!