RSS 2.0 FeedNovember 23, 2011, Film
Banderas burns up the screen
Antonio Banderas steps away from animation and delivers a smoldering performance in the disturbing Pedro Almodovar drama "The Skin I Live In."
The hook. It can be the first line of a news story or the first shot of the first scene in a movie. Whatever form it takes, the hook is critical in capturing the audiences’ attention. Otherwise, we get bored and lose interest. With stylish subtly, writer/director Pedro Almodovar (Volver, Broken Embraces) hooks us immediately when we are thrust into a sparsely decorated room where a young, beautiful woman is meditating inexplicably in a flesh-colored body suit. Locked in and monitored 24/7 by cameras, Vera (Elena Anaya, Point Blank) is like a rat who’s trapped in a never-ending experiment.
Her captor/doctor is Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), a genius in the plastic-surgery world who has successfully performed several face-transplant operations. With actions resembling a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein, Robert is a man burdened and motivated by tragedies, including his wife’s death after being horribly burned. In the years since, Robert has discarded all scruples to create a fireproof synthetic skin for his personal guinea pig, Vera.
Robert announces his discovery under the guise that he’s only tested his procedure on mice. Still, the news is shocking enough that he’s told to quit his experiments. Meanwhile, Robert’s protective mother, Marilia (Marisa Paredes, All About My Mother) is worried that her son has put himself in danger by becoming emotionally consumed with Vera. This turns into an afterthought when Marilia’s violent, estranged son Zeca (Roberto Alamo, Soccer Days) connives his way into Robert’s mansion so he can hide from the law.
Almodovar does a wonderful job at sprinkling little surprises throughout the story that serve to continually heighten its sense of mystery. He also perfectly times his use of flashbacks to explain the motivations behind Robert’s twisted sense of revenge and how Vera came to be his guinea pig. The pacing for The Skin I Live In is fairly consistent, but there are a few instances when it slows down so much that it loses its edge.
Banderas delivers one of the best performances of his career as he smolders from beginning to end. His character’s descent into a rabbit hole of madness with blind revenge and a god complex is portrayed with precision. Banderas disappears to the point that you forget he was ever Zorro or an orange cat with a sword.
Anaya gets a chance to display a lot more range than she did in the suspense flick Point Blank, and she seizes the opportunity by infusing a quiet strength into a tragic character with her own sense of revenge to fulfill.
The Skin I Live In is filled with twisting surprises that will have you glued to the silver screen.
On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing, The Skin I Live In receives an A-.
The Skin I Live In is rated R and has a running time of 107 minutes.
Now showing through November 24 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square
4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com, or call 913-383-7756 for more information.
Indie Film Editor
Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.
In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.
Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.
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