Under the Skin (2013)
Hello. What the fuck did I just watch? That is quite the first thought that occurred whilst watching... But there's more to that.
Plot: Umm this one is quite simple, we see a mysterious woman who seduces lonely men.
Cast: Not much really.. Scarlett Johansson. Rest of the cast are actual people shot by hidden cameras, or just insignificant supporting people.
Thoughts: Well, this movie doesn't seem much, but it actually is a very deep and complex piece. If you ever seen "2001: The Space Odyssey" or even "The Enemy" you'll know. These are the films I'd likely compare this one to ( I know it is very ambitious to compare anything to Space Odyssey, but some visions and plot developments reminded me of that movie). I'll get into more details below. Spoilers!
Character development: Ok, firstly - Scarlett's character (presumably) is an alien, send to earth on a mission. At the begging of the movie, we see her sort of changing places with another woman. That means, the lady before her have failed, so Scarlett (she didn't have a name, so I'm calling her that) steps in. Her mission is, well, to seduce and kill men. She has this sort of supervisor, the man on the motorcycle, that somehow knows what she's doing, he takes care of her. Scarlett has no emotions, she just makes small talk with her preys and quietly observes humankind. She sees that people are attracted to pretty things. She wears nice clothes, makeup, while talking to men she always asks "Do you think I'm pretty?". She suddenly feels sorry for one of her victim, lets him go, and that sort of changes her. Now here is when we see a development of her character. She runs away from her supervisor, she tries human food, she feels compassion, even tries sex, but it all kind of feels wrong, she is confused. She must of thought, that these sudden feelings for humans killed the lady before her. She runs away again, until her beauty gets her into trouble. At the end of the movie, she almost gets raped, until the raper accidentally scratches her skin and reveals her true self. Then naturally he is disgusted and scared of her, so he sets her on fire. Sorry, spoilers, told ya. That only proves, that people are shallow and only care of exterior beauty.
What I liked: I loved this movie. It is for those who appreciate true cinema, wants to dig deeper. That kind of movie keeps you at night, makes you think of theories, what it all might have meant. Also, I loved the surrealistic approach, the way of showing how men are being killed. Very aesthetic and artistic. Hidden message about the inside beauty was a nice touch. This kind of movie needs to be analysed as close as it is possible.
What I didn't like: It was slow. And very confusing. You need to see it twice to truly appreciate it. I bet half the people who watched thought that the movie was the biggest waste of time - it made no sense. No surprise the ratting on IMDB is so low, only 6.3 for this hidden masterpiece.
What I liked: I loved this movie. It is for those who appreciate true cinema, wants to dig deeper. That kind of movie keeps you at night, makes you think of theories, what it all might have meant. Also, I loved the surrealistic approach, the way of showing how men are being killed. Very aesthetic and artistic. Hidden message about the inside beauty was a nice touch. This kind of movie needs to be analysed as close as it is possible.
What I didn't like: It was slow. And very confusing. You need to see it twice to truly appreciate it. I bet half the people who watched thought that the movie was the biggest waste of time - it made no sense. No surprise the ratting on IMDB is so low, only 6.3 for this hidden masterpiece.