Review of Mysterious Skin (2005) by João C — 20 Sep 2011

Mysterious Skin leaves you void of hope, disturbed, yet amazed, and most generally; stunned.

Gregg Araki goes beyond the controversial "limits" and shows us the cold hard truth. This is not a fantasy, and this is not a romance. This film is life. Araki does not believe that softening the blow is possible, and it's true. The hard, powerful, and raw emotions that are vibrant in this film are only possible because of the no holds, all soul way the film is made. Using the pretense that we are a knowledgeable generation, Araki doesn't divulge all of the images, knowing that what we don't see is even more disturbing or beautiful.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is by far the most valuable asset in the film. He can easily be void of all recongnizable emotions, or he can, just as easily, be the lively character we've known him to be in past roles. Levitt's ability to transcend the character as a character, and simply be is a skill Hollywood is lacking. Not using the crutch of "audience-relatability", Levitt free-falls into Neil McCormick and lands with an ethereal grace. He is the meaning, and he is mysterious.

Brady Corbet is another facet of the mystery. His soft layers of pain and dreamer-persona make him the nerd we all hate to be. He is the relation to the audience, and he is the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.

Michelle Tractenberg is the skin. Jeff Licon may be just as much a part of the skin as she is on paper, but Tractenberg out-acted each and every other supporting actor. Her graceful and rugged flip-flopping of persona was what made the story grounded. Without the realism and heart she brought, Mysterious Skin would've been simply a sick-minded game Araki dreamed up while roaming the streets of a disgusting small town.

Brilliantly adapted for the screen; Mysterious Skin stays true the core of the story while diverging from the split POV that makes many films fail. Dialogue often exactly the same, gave each character the layer they were given in the novel. The grit remained and the silent emptiness of the book was omnipresent. Nothing had to be said for every expression to collide perfectly into something morbidly and touchingly mesmerizing.

Overall, the film is a truly spectacular work of controversial teen subject. There are moments when I think myself lucky to have been able to see such a powerful, thought-provoking film that's made with such openness, and depth. I cannot imagine how I lived without this film's presence in my life, and its deep-rooted affect on my teenage mentality.