The Skin That I Inhabit (Almodóvar)

[B-side]

Quite possibly my most anticipated film of the year. Set to release September 9th in Spain, with a fall US release to follow, I'm sure.

Based on Thierry Jonquet's novel "Mygale", this revenge tale tells the story of a plastic surgeon on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter.

It’s difficult to define and although it comes close to the terror genre — something that appeals to me that I’ve never done — I won’t respect any of its rules. It’s the harshest film I’ve ever written and Banderas’ character is brutal.

More posters.

[Pop Trash]

Nice. That reminds me, I still haven't seen Broken Embraces.

[KK2.0]

If i'm not mistaken he produced Alex De La Iglesia's Accion Mutante, but i've never heard of him being actually into genre movies before, cool. Was already looking foward to his new movie but this piece kicked my interest higher.

[Grouchy]

If i'm not mistaken he produced Alex De La Iglesia's Accion Mutante, but i've never heard of him being actually into genre movies before, cool. Was already looking foward to his new movie but this piece kicked my interest higher.

In my opinion, noir and melodrama have always been huge influences in his filmmaking. But his stories have always been too intimate to be considered genre movies.

I have the feeling this is gonna be incredible, by the way.

[B-side]

Cool new teaser

[MadMan]

I'm reminded of "Eyes Without a Face" here. Sweet.

[monolith94]

In my opinion, noir and melodrama have always been huge influences in his filmmaking. But his stories have always been too intimate to be considered genre movies.

I have the feeling this is gonna be incredible, by the way.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown can, imho, be considered as part of the screwball comedy genre.

[Ivan Drago]

The more and more I see the new trailer for it, the more excited I get.

[youtube]EolQSTTTpI4[/youtube]

[MadMan]

That looks fantastic. I'll admit I've never seen an Almodovar movie before, so I don't know where to start.

[Ezee E]

That looks fantastic. I'll admit I've never seen an Almodovar movie before, so I don't know where to start.

Any of them really.

[Boner M]

So the main criticism I'm reading of this film in relation to previous PA films is that it lacks an 'emotional pull' or somesuch irrelevancies... this is the 'director as surgeon' metaphor taken to its logical endpoint, and fashions a frighteningly absurdist depiction of people as screens for projection (really, the best theme for any film), with a very elegantly dissected narrative chronology designed to fuck with our ingrained viewing practices. It's Vertigo and Eyes Without a Face combined, and Almodovar's most formally impressive film to date. Can't wait to see it again.

[B-side]

So the main criticism I'm reading of this film in relation to previous PA films is that it lacks an 'emotional pull' or somesuch irrelevancies... this is the 'director as surgeon' metaphor taken to its logical endpoint, and fashions a frighteningly absurdist depiction of people as screens for projection (really, the best theme for any film), with a very elegantly dissected narrative chronology designed to fuck with our ingrained viewing practices. It's Vertigo and Eyes Without a Face combined, and Almodovar's most formally impressive film to date. Can't wait to see it again.

You're killing me, Smalls.

[B-side]

Should probably get the title of the thread changed to the release title, if some kind mod would assume responsibility for such a grueling task.

[Winston*]

The Skin I Inhabit is a much better title than The Skin I Live In.

[number8]

I liked this movie a lot too.

[Qrazy]

That looks fantastic. I'll admit I've never seen an Almodovar movie before, so I don't know where to start.

Talk to Her or Volver.

All about my Mother is ridiculous in a bad way.

[Bosco B Thug]

Went in knowing nothing, and got the full shock of it. But I think I would have appreciated this a bit more if I had known the story beforehand. Nevertheless, I cherished getting the feeling of true surprise, and the film is audacious and effective.

But, the film is too concerned with thriller plotting and superficial events, keeping too much from us and laying it out too ploddingly in rather conventional narrative rhythms. Maybe if I knew where the film was heading, I would've felt them more, but I felt thematic resonance was mostly inert until the final act.

[number8]

Is it just me or was the reveal obviously telegraphed? I mean:

[

Show Spoiler

Why would Vera be otherwise dreaming a flashback from Vincente's POV?

]

[Li Lili]

I saw it a month ago, and I'm personaly not so keen on Almodovar's films, but this one was quite a surprise. I refused to read, see or hear any comments on it before watching it, so I didn't know what it was really about, which surely helped the surprise.
I recommend it, it's very well played, I liked the narrative structure and the way it's shown.

[Ivan Drago]

Comes to me on November 18th. Can't fucking wait!

[Fezzik]

So the main criticism I'm reading of this film in relation to previous PA films is that it lacks an 'emotional pull' or somesuch irrelevancies...

Is this to say emotional pull is irrelevant to this film in particular or do you think it's irrelevant to film in general?

I ask because I know people who think that movies with an emotional center are unforgivable sins.

[Bosco B Thug]

Is it just me or was the reveal obviously telegraphed? I mean:

[

Show Spoiler

Why would Vera be otherwise dreaming a flashback from Vincente's POV?

]

Yeah, it's definitely telegraphed, in that there's so much shown before that point. But me, who's pretty slow putting things together...

[

Show Spoiler

... I was still considering nonsensical options like Vera is Norma (I even missed reading one of the time cards, so I didn't know whether we had jumped ahead or back), or the dead wife is Vera, or even clinging on to Eyes Without a Face notions that the film was about saving his wife or daughter.

Believe it or not, I didn't figure it out until the very moment he said the -plasty word. The film was made for me, apparently.

]

[Boner M]

Is this to say emotional pull is irrelevant to this film in particular or do you think it's irrelevant to film in general?

I ask because I know people who think that movies with an emotional center are unforgivable sins.

Just for this particular film.

Also, those people you know are weird.

[Boner M]

Is it just me or was the reveal obviously telegraphed? I mean:

[

Show Spoiler

Why would Vera be otherwise dreaming a flashback from Vincente's POV?

]

Doesn't that flashback begin from Robert's POV though? (I can't remember how obviously it was established to be her dream).

[number8]

Doesn't that flashback begin from Robert's POV though? (I can't remember how obviously it was established to be her dream).

[

Show Spoiler

It starts with the two of them in lying in bed. Robert starts twitching like he's having a nightmare and the camera zooms in on his face, then dissolves into his flashback of the wedding.

After the flashback, it cuts back to a shot of them in bed. This time Vera twitches and the camera zooms in on her face, then dissolves to Vincente working at the clothes shop.

It's made pretty obvious that what we're seeing is her dream.

]