Review of The Skin I Live In (2011) by Ian F — 07 Feb 2012

This is another remarkable film from Almodóvar and a macabre one even by his standards. United with Antonio Banderas for the first time since 1990, the latter is steely and scary as a Josef Mengele style doctor without scruples and yet one who has experienced much loss and suffering.

It is reminiscent of Talk to Her in its slow menacing pace, tinged with odd moments of humour and left me really satisfied with the directorâ(TM)s continued good run of mid period masterpieces â" a sequence I prefer to the earlier farces, exuberant as they are. Much of the enjoyment comes from the detail â" fused with extraordinary imagination and passion.