Thought I'd mention that I watched Under the Skin last night.
I liked it a lot, or at least it set me thinking, though others at the screening were clearly less intrigued (roughly a third left after an hour).
Avoiding spoilers, I found the film interesting on three levels:
1. As commentary on the human condition. As Scarlett Johansson's character becomes more attuned to human experiences, she feels more vulnerable, frightened, and alone.
2. As observation on sexual politics and gender. The film inverts themes of male sexual insecurity and vulnerability by the end, leaving us with a complex (and arguably disturbing) view of twenty-first century gender relations, especially with regard to issues of sex and power.
3. In a "meta" sense, or as commentary on the distinction between Hollywood glamour and "real world" experience. Johansson seemed suitably "alien" among ordinary looking Glaswegian men, some of whom were non actors filmed covertly, as Johansson pretended to seduce them. These actors later consented to appear in the film. This extended to issues of location and style, since much of the filming took place in drab areas of the city. When Johansson is "out on the prowl" the style is notably realist, contrasted with greater formal experimentation once men are lured back to her lair.
Oh, and it was uncomfortably funny at times; for anyone who's seen the film, "This isn't Tesco."
I liked it a lot, or at least it set me thinking, though others at the screening were clearly less intrigued (roughly a third left after an hour).
Avoiding spoilers, I found the film interesting on three levels:
1. As commentary on the human condition. As Scarlett Johansson's character becomes more attuned to human experiences, she feels more vulnerable, frightened, and alone.
2. As observation on sexual politics and gender. The film inverts themes of male sexual insecurity and vulnerability by the end, leaving us with a complex (and arguably disturbing) view of twenty-first century gender relations, especially with regard to issues of sex and power.
3. In a "meta" sense, or as commentary on the distinction between Hollywood glamour and "real world" experience. Johansson seemed suitably "alien" among ordinary looking Glaswegian men, some of whom were non actors filmed covertly, as Johansson pretended to seduce them. These actors later consented to appear in the film. This extended to issues of location and style, since much of the filming took place in drab areas of the city. When Johansson is "out on the prowl" the style is notably realist, contrasted with greater formal experimentation once men are lured back to her lair.
Oh, and it was uncomfortably funny at times; for anyone who's seen the film, "This isn't Tesco."
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