Under the Skin

From the beginning shot of this film depicting lights and eclipses, we will already see that this will not be just another run-of-the-mill motion picture. When we see a nude Scarlett Johansson for the first time in that pristine white room, we definitely know we are in for a different sort of ride.

A woman drives around Scotland. She strikes up conversations with various men she picks up along the way. She will seduce them into coming with her and they follow her into her black void of a house. However, as this woman encounters more men, she will also realize and discover new things about herself.

Despite the presence of a big name star Scarlett Johansson, this is not a mainstream film. The techniques are unmistakably art-house, with long stretches of silence, of Johansson just driving around, of random people just going about their daily routines. It is said that to be realistic, the film makers shot Johansson picking up real men off the street (not actors) and interviewed them without a script as they were driving around. The thick Scottish accents may be unintelligible.

Many audiences may just dismiss this as a fruitless waste of 100 minutes, since on paper, the plot seems to be simple enough for a single "X-Files" episode. However, serious cinephiles will be enraptured by the film's bizarre cinematographic beauty, deeper symbolic meaning and recall films by hallowed directors like Stanley Kubrick or David Lynch.

There are carefully orchestrated shots of seduction, very effective (of course with Johansson in various stages of undress) and mysterious (with that pitch black shiny room and that eerie piercing music by Mica Levi). There was a scene with a couple, their baby and their dog on an isolated windswept beach which will disturb you. There was a scene involving a man with a disfigured face which will haunt you.

"Under the Skin" is a unique artistic movie experience which will polarize audiences. Director Jonathan Glazer has created a bleak masterpiece which will visually mesmerize and thematically baffle his viewers. So, are you seduced to take up this challenge? 7/10.

I can handle not knowing who our characters are, what their motives are, how they relate to one another, and what the point is for so long, but at some point you need to articulate something... anything. Let me know what they're thinking, why they're doing what they're doing. I was starved of answers for the entire duration of the movie.

This movie seems to rely on its mood and tone over anything of substance and form. It has remarkably few lines of dialog, and what is there is mostly unimportant. We're left to interpret Johansson's character based on her facial expressions and behaviors, and even those are quite vague. There's just not a whole lot here. The film hints at a lot but never truly defines it.

The ending isn't setup aside from the ethereal sequences prior. In the end, we still don't know quite who she is or what she was. I doubt the writer had a specific idea either.

Overall, I didn't like this movie. I found myself asking questions that just were never answered. The film hides behind a layer of mystery, which piques your interest, but there's nothing underneath. Even now having seen the ending, knowing what she is, doesn't leave me feeling satisfied in any way.

Skip this one. Not worth the time.

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.

I am surprised by the amount of negative criticism about this film as I found it mesmerising and intriguing. If your expecting some Hollywood movie about a sexy alien killing lots of dull characters in a gory and sensationalised way (with lots of explosions thrown in), then you will be disappointed. The pace is slow however I felt that this contributed to the whole feel and atmosphere. I liked the use of Scotland as a setting especially the way it contrasted the natural beauty of Scotland with some of the urban ugliness that exists. I also liked the way Scarlett Johansson played the main role - cool, sexy and almost emotionless. I am glad I didn't watch this at the cinema as watching it at home meant I could discuss the film during the many periods of calm. There were a few arty scenes in the film but I did not feel these were pretentious or contrived, again they added to the feel of the film. The ending was a little disappointing in my opinion but I still feel this film is classy, original and will make most people think!

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.