The weight of adolescence years comes as a heavy burden that feels bigger to some, a little light to others. To young Marty (Andras Jones) that phase
is an unbereable raw deal due to a condition he faces ever since childhood and will probably never end as he suffers from a skin disease known as port-wine
stain, a discoloration of the human skin that leaves a series of purple-reddish marks on the body. In between treatments that go nowhere, he keeps on hiding
his body and avoids showering at the private school he attends or whenever he tries to become intimate with girls. It all changes when he discovers "The Prom" and
a special young girl who works there.
That place is a porn-shop with booth where girls make their striptease acts, and the one who got his attention was Lana (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and
since there's the chance of conversation he becomes fascinated with her, slightly at ease to the point slowly revealing himself and reaching a nice form of
human contact - as loneliness and anxiety are a constant with Marty. Yet the challenge remains: if getting closer to her, outside of her work, will he ever
feel comfortable with a more intimate relationship or more pain and anxiety will be added to the situation?
The thing I liked the most was that the short prolongued a lot about Marty's situation and the extension of his condition, and by the time it showed us
it felt (for a little while) that it wasn't so bad as it feels like a series of unconventional tattoos. But the more we see through the young man's perspective
we understand the reasoning for a high level of insecurity, shame and why this particular disease affects him. Right at a point where he wants to experience
sex and intimacy, and the perception of having a perfect body are a constant on films, TV, magazines and real people one observes in different situations.
With Lana, there's plenty of awkward moments between both until things slowly work alright. While a very unconventional scenario (only in the movies), it works on
the level of building confidence when there's little or none, making some effort towards change and growth, and viewers can use to aspects to be changed in
their lives despite whatever problem they face - not just a health/physical condition as shown, it works as a metaphor for whatever it's blocking one from
connecting with a special person. It's like that known quote 'those who care don't matter and those who matter don't care'.
It's a fine drama, greatly well acted (the late J. T. Walsh has a cameo playing the school dean, a rare opportunity to see him outside of villainesque
characters, but always a figure of authority) and a little moving. It gets a little lost due to some intrusive flashbacks showing Marty's childhood past and
some of the treatments he goes under, as it tries evoke a sense of mystery that wasn't needed. It's the kind of device that with dialogues would work better.
Still, a very interesting piece. 8/10.
