Post by Who Let Servo Drive on Apr 21, 2014 10:53:09 GMT -5
Now, this is not a movie for everyone, let me tell you, but I loved Under the Skin. It's an art movie for sure, strangely surreal, inscrutable in some ways and very deliberately paced. I'm sensing that people either loved it or hated it. I loved it -- it reminds me in some ways of an update of 70s indie sci-fi that depended more on strangeness than special effects to create an otherworldy feel.
I don't want to reveal too much about the movie, but it left me thinking about it for days after I saw it. I mean, I'm still mulling it over in my head and I saw it two weeks ago. On the other hand, The Avengers, which made a trillion zillion dollars at the box office? I remember that movie breaking and getting in the van outside the movie theater after my wife and daughter picked my sons and me up (the girls decided to go shopping instead) -- my wife politely asked me what it was about. For the life of me I could not remember. Probably because, let's admit it, the entire plot was a MacGuffin.
Yes, a movie that is so strangely told and which lacks exposition can be frustrating (although I was not even a little frustrated by Under the Skin -- intrigued is more like it). But it challenges you in a way that I think makes you think and feel more than typical Hollywood fare, and that's what I liked about it. There were also some really disturbing moments, and that's also something that rarely happens, even in horror movies. Most horror films just go through the motions, you know ... false scare followed by real scare -- check. Moist Japanese girl -- check. Children with blacked-out eyes and huge black mouths, both obviously CGIed -- check ....
Scarlett Johansson was fantastic in this movie. The way she turned on the charm when in the presence of her potential prey, then went blank when she was on her own, was chilling, and very effective. She's nude in the movie but believe me, it's not a turn on, even though she has a very attractive, womanly figure. When she's nude, trust me, Scarlett-Johansson-naked! is the last thing you're thinking about. I saw the Captain America movie just a few days ago, and while it couldn't be more different from Under the Skin, she was great in that too -- in fact I think she stole the movie.
I don't want to reveal too much about the movie, but it left me thinking about it for days after I saw it. I mean, I'm still mulling it over in my head and I saw it two weeks ago. On the other hand, The Avengers, which made a trillion zillion dollars at the box office? I remember that movie breaking and getting in the van outside the movie theater after my wife and daughter picked my sons and me up (the girls decided to go shopping instead) -- my wife politely asked me what it was about. For the life of me I could not remember. Probably because, let's admit it, the entire plot was a MacGuffin.
Yes, a movie that is so strangely told and which lacks exposition can be frustrating (although I was not even a little frustrated by Under the Skin -- intrigued is more like it). But it challenges you in a way that I think makes you think and feel more than typical Hollywood fare, and that's what I liked about it. There were also some really disturbing moments, and that's also something that rarely happens, even in horror movies. Most horror films just go through the motions, you know ... false scare followed by real scare -- check. Moist Japanese girl -- check. Children with blacked-out eyes and huge black mouths, both obviously CGIed -- check ....
Scarlett Johansson was fantastic in this movie. The way she turned on the charm when in the presence of her potential prey, then went blank when she was on her own, was chilling, and very effective. She's nude in the movie but believe me, it's not a turn on, even though she has a very attractive, womanly figure. When she's nude, trust me, Scarlett-Johansson-naked! is the last thing you're thinking about. I saw the Captain America movie just a few days ago, and while it couldn't be more different from Under the Skin, she was great in that too -- in fact I think she stole the movie.
