Have you ever visited a museum with a friend and as you both stand starring at a painting, your friend begins to extol the beauty of the work and talent of the artist while you look upon it wondering who spilled paint on that canvas? You wonder how it is possible that you are missing all the symbolism that your friend continues to describe. What would you do if someone asked you to write a review on the piece of art?
Well, here we go. According to the packaging, Under The Skin starring Scarlett Johansson, which hit store shelves on July 15th, was described as “A Mind Melting Masterpiece” by a writer for The Village Voice. Um, there were certainly times that I felt like my mind was melting almost as fast as the 108 minutes I invested in this “masterpiece”.
Director Jonathan Glazer moves Scarlett Johansson around Scotland as she has casual conversations with men, manages to get them into her van, and eventually to her flat, which contains a stylish movie set where they follow her into darkness that she can walk on and they sink into. No, they never really react to the fact that they’re sinking, but you can’t really blame them since they are pursuing a scantily clad Johansson. Eventually we discover that there is more to our lead character than meets the eye.
Now, you could assume that I am not revealing more because I don’t wish to spoil the film for you. In actuality; that’s about all there is to tell. The cinematography is beautiful, and the music manages to be both annoying and amazing.
The new release from Lionsgate contains numerous pieces of bonus material all of which are about five minutes in length and consist of interviews with people that worked on the film. The most interesting is on the subject of casting.
Recommendation: I was intrigued when I was given a Scarlett Johansson film that I had never heard of. I was excited when I read the synopsis as well as comments from reviewers who managed to see the film during what was its apparent 108-minute release in theatres. Clearly, I didn’t get it, but under no circumstances would I watch it again in an effort to appreciate this piece of art, nor can I honestly recommend that anyone else watch it.
