Review of The Skin I Live In (2011) by Scott M — 25 Jul 2012

It's never going to be an easy sit when watching a film by Pedro Almodovar. "Mainstream" just isn't in his vocabulary, neither is the phrase "well adjusted." With that being said, "The Skin I Live In" is not mainstream in any way, nor are any of the characters contained within "well adjusted.".

Pedro has a thing about broken people. He loves them, and loves to tell stories about them. I don't think that there's any better way to break in a new found film enthusiast who is discovering the world of foreign films than by making them watch an Almodovar film. It's the kind of thing that sticks with you long after the credits have rolled, like years after. The first film I saw of his was "Talk to Her," an excellent and moving film that also shocked the hell out of me in a way that I'll NEVER forget (I'm sure that those who have seen the film will know what I'm referring to).

"The Skin I Live In" wasn't as shocking to me, maybe it's because I knew to expect a shock that Hollywood would never consider putting into a serious film, or maybe it's because what shocks me now is far different than when I saw " Talk to Her.".

The story is a rather straightforward tale: A well renowned surgeon loses his wife to a car accident, and then his daughter to suicide after an attempted act of rape on her while at a party. These events push him over the line and make him determined to punish those that hurt his daughter. Any more and I'm giving away plot points that shouldn't be spoiled.

This is not an action film, it's more like a sophisticated horror film that is worked masterfully by a great artist. The only thing I can really criticize is the ending, not for what happens, but rather for the abruptness of events.

Overall, this a great film that will probably make some squeamish but remains highly recommended anyway.