The Skin I Live in

February 16, 2012
By Nick Galasso

The Skin I Live In

Release Date: October 14, 2011

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Starring: Antonio Banderas; Blanca Suarez; Maris Paredes; Robert Alamo; Elena Anaya; Jan Cornet; José Luis Gómez; Blanca Suárez

Production: Canal+ España, El Deseo S.A., Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO)

Runtime: 117 minutes

 

While The Descendants was one of the year’s warmer experiences, The Skin I Live In is one of the year’s most bizarre and disturbing experiences. I think it’s the plot alone that gave me the most enjoyment. I found myself constantly drawn in and “weirded out” at the same time.

The film follows a plastic surgeon (played by Antonio Banderas in his first relevant film in many, many years that’s not related to Shrek) who creates a skin that can withstand any sort of damage. His guinea pig is a mysterious woman named Vera (Elena Anaya) whom he seems to have an obsession with as he keeps her quarantined in a room in his house to properly conduct his experiments. The basic premise alone sounds odd enough right? Well, it gets even odder as the film makes a slow yet unpredictable descent into eccentric creepiness that will surely divide most audiences. I’m not going to say much more as I don’t wish to give anything away but it’s definitely a film that’s not for everyone. Although if you’re ever in the mood for a truly out-of-ordinary experience, you should check this out as you’ll be in for one very interesting ride.
 
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