Madagascar Skin

What a surprise this movie was. I had no idea what to expect, and the Netflix summary didn't prepare me one whit.

Maybe not having expectations helped. I see that other reviewers are put off by the artfulness of the film. That's just what I liked. It's very filmic, full of interesting photography and nonlinear storytelling. Well, sort of nonlinear. The plot, such as it is, follows the development of a relationship between two social misfits.

I completely bought the John Hannah characterization of a gay man who's suffered lifelong alienation because of an enormous port wine stain on his face. I believed that the birthmark and being homosexual could have resulted in a character like Harry. I didn't quite understand if he always lived on the fringes, or if, at the point we meet him, he had just given up trying to fit into society. Not that it mattered. The lack of clarity gave "value added" as far as I'm concerned.

The performances are excellent. The story is compelling and somewhat mysterious. The photography is inventive and evocative. In short, Madagascar Skin has everything I like to see in a film. That it had gay content made it all the better for me. I'm putting this film in my top ten gay movies list.