Under the Skin

I was surprised at the fact that this movie has stayed with me several days after I saw it. The plot isn't anything special- and the writing didn't really affect me either. But somehow two elements of the movie HAVE remained: Samantha Morton's sweet and strirring performance as a young girl dealing with the pain of a lost mother and the music. I don't know who wrote the score, but it really helps to complement to sort of melancholy mood that embraces Ms. Morton. Ms. Morton's performance, which ranges from joyful, to needy, to desperate, to erotic is powerful. And her rendition of Alone again Naturally at the end of the movie is soulful. Surprisingly, the movie works.

Samantha Morton stars in this movie as Iris, the younger of two English sisters who worship their mother. When Mom dies early on in the film, Iris is completely knocked off her axis and reacts by shirking personal responsibility and having casual sexual encounters, the result of a suddenly overheated libido. She doesn't want to listen to any suggestion that her behavior is due in any way to her mother's death, either.

After spinning out of control for most of the movie, she apparently resolves her problem with her mom's passing and a conflict with her sister as well. But this film does a lot better job of depicting Iris' problems than it does explaining them, or explaining how things work out in the end. Consequently this viewer felt about as satisfied as one would after one of Iris' sexual encounters. Although this film was written and directed by a woman, produced by another woman and focuses on female characters, it doesn't explain the woman's point of view to my satisfaction. The film had a lot of potential but was ultimately disappointing.

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.

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

Samantha Morton has a reputation as a fine actress; but to me, she also has a reputation for appearing in "difficult" movies, and 'Under the Skin' is no exception. It tells the story of two sisters who struggle to cope with their mother's death; Morton's character cuts her ties with normal life, while her insecure sister manipulatively attempts to maintain the status she had as their mother's favourite. Of course, in a world of bland thrillers and romances, "difficult" can be a synonym for "good", and the drum-heavy soundtrack, and some disorienting camera-work, are actually quite effective at getting the viewer inside of Morton's head. On the downside, occasionally the film is slightly heavy-handed in making its points, the conclusion seems rather stuck-on, and not following naturally from the climax of the drama; and the world portrayed is, until that conclusion, one almost wholly without joy, so it makes for gruelling watching. It's an interesting film, but in the end, not quite original enough to make watching it an altogether pleasurable experience.