Review of Mysterious Skin (2005) by Jatin G — 09 Dec 2009

Mysterious Skin is a rare, brave film which dares to delve in and explore the delicate subject of child abuse, depicting the journey two young men face as they try to uncover and accept what happened to them in their childhood. It is a very thought-provoking and depressing film which remained in the forefront of my mind long after I had finished watching it.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in this film, proving that he can undertake and excel in any role given to him. He produces an astounding performance as rent boy Neil McCormick, a young man who because of his experiences being abused as a child has turned to turning tricks in the local park. I was entirely captivated by him on screen, and despite being disturbing in several places, his story was engrossing and very honestly told.

Brady Corbet as Brian Lackey pulls off a brilliant performance as a confused young man trying to piece together what happened to him as an 8 year old child. Not being able to remember anything, he begins to look into the possibility of alien abduction. Absurd as it seems, he cannot seem to work out what else it could be. Although I enjoyed Corbet's character and storyline in the film, I felt that his back-story never really rivalled that of Gordon-Levitt's character. I was so engrossed by Neil's story that Brian's, rather than acting as one half of the main storyline, at times seems to be a side story.

Despite Gordon-Levitt's and Brady Corbet's riveting depictions of troubled youths Neil McCormick and Brian Lackey , I felt that their performances were let down by some of the other actors, most notably Michelle Trachtenberg as Wendy and Jeff Licon as Eric. Specifically, the scene where the two are sat in the car discussing their attraction to Neil is terrible. For a film that displays such powerful performances from the two leads, I was sorely disappointed by some of the supporting cast. Ultimately ? I found it difficult to watch the two on screen together. Neither actors redeem themselves throughout the film, and at best, only give passable performances in comparison to the two main leads, as both seem stiff and unconvincing throughout.

At the risk of sounding cliché, Mysterious Skin is not a film for the faint hearted and is difficult to watch in parts. The rape scene may make some squirm, but credit must be given to the actors and director for making such a difficult subject matter transfer so forcefully and effectively on film without making it impossible to watch. This film will not appeal to everyone, as the graphic nature in some scenes will undoubtedly make many viewers feel uncomfortable, maybe even disgusted. However, viewers should not be put off by the subject matter, and look beyond it to fully appreciate a film that deals so effectively with the harsh reality of something that tragically, happens all too often in our society.