Under the Skin

I saw Under the Skin on TV, very late, desperate to go to sleep, but I just couldn't stop watching it, it gripped me completely. It is a film about bereavment, and how different people cope with it. The film is deeply moving, courageously frank, and with a very strong visual style. The whole cast was excellent, but Samantha Morton was just fantastic. I recommend it fullheartedly.

This film was shown last night on UK TV. Unfortunately I missed the first 20 minutes or so but the rest was so good I feel it is still worth commenting on. The film centres around the different reactions of two sisters to their mother's death - don't however get the impression that this is a film to be endured rather than enjoyed. Although the subject matter is serious and the film very emotionally moving, there are flashes of humour throughout and it is not boringly earnest for one moment. I read somewhere that the director is an admirer of Mike Leigh's "Naked". While it is no poor relation, if you appreciate the work of Mike Leigh you would probably also enjoy "Under the Skin".

Under the Skin is a deeply touching and disturbing movie, which has affected me more than any other. If you have ever been through great sorrow, see this movie! It shows very clearly that there is no "right" way to handle your grief.

"Under the Skin" could be simply, though inaccurately summarized as simply the story of two sisters dealing with the death of their mother, with one sister becoming sexually loose as a means of escapism.

But the story runs much deeper than that. Samantha Morton plays the British version of a sexually "used" American male. She frets about calling a lover, she is mistreated when she does. She makes bad decisions in choosing lovers, and loses in the end with most of them.

"Under the Skin" presents a realistic portrayal of how sexual escapism only does so much, how it only paints the faintest of illusions of comfort and companionship. It is only a silkscreen for the real problems of the need for emotional as well as sexual fulfillment as part of companionship.

What makes Morton's portrayal so powerful is its complexity of character. Following her mother's death, Morton's character goes through a series of transformations. First she is the doer, the chooser. It is she who walks out on her boyfriend, she who decides to also cheat on him, she who sleeps with whatever man she wants.

It is Iris, Morton's character who is in control, while her sister Rose is an emotional wreck. She is having a baby, she thinks her husband fancies Iris, she is concerned about her appearance, her weight, and she can't find mum's ashes.

All of this is especially sad because she is mum's favorite daughter.

But then everything changes when Iris is mistreated by several lovers, one of whom physically humiliates and abuses her.

She tries to go back to her boyfriend but finds he doesn't want her. She is left without any money and has no one to turn to except her poor sister.

It is during these series of transformations from power to humiliation that Morton shines. It is no wonder many have called this the film that made her a UK star. It is the film's frankness and realism that is attention-grabbing as well. A true window to the world of random hook-ups. Love isn't very easy to find after all.

After the death of her mother Iris Kelly embarks on a drunken promiscuous lifestyle to numb the pain There that's the plot ( For want of a better word ) to UNDER THE SKIN a typically British film from the mid 1990s . It's rather low budget and character driven and certainly isn't the type of film that would have appeared at the local multiplex alongside the local Hollywood blockbuster and is perhaps a film Britain produces on too much of a regular basis Despite being inspired by the work of such lauded British directors as Ken Loach and Mike Leigh I can't say that Carine Adler is in the same league ( Though I believe Loach and Leigh are overrated as directors anyway ) and her sometimes art-house type of directing can be somewhat irritating . In many ways you get the feeling Adler is stretching out a story that would have worked much better as a short film What everyone can agree on is that the performance of Samantha Morton is riveting in such a challenging role . Critics are always complaining that actresses aren't given good enough parts but think about it - What's a studio to do ? Cast a stunning looking actress in a commercial film or cast someone who can actually act in a movie like this with little commercial appeal ? Despite the very obvious flaws of UNDER THE SKIN Morton saves the film and has been superb in everything from CRACKER to the video of U2's Electrical Storm . She's almost certainly the most talented actress Britain has produced in years and one hopes to see her become a megastar