by Mike Favila, Editor

When I watched the trailer for Under The Skin, I knew that it would be worth watching.   Scarlett  Johannson has been on a tear recently, most obviously with The Avengers, and smaller films such as Don Jon.  And although every guy friend I know has always fawned over Johannson, I’ve never really gotten it.  As she seems to be expanding her body of work, I can’t help but acknowledge what an interesting talent she is and that I should probably start looking over her work a little closer.

I’ve always been a fan of Jonathan Glazer’s innovative videos (Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity, Radiohead’s Street Spirit are a few examples) but I’ve never had the opportunity to check out his earlier works.  That being said, this is his first film in about a decade.  Everybody’s talked about Sexy Beast for years,  but Under The Skin seems to be just as well regarded.  Consequently, I couldn’t wait to fire this up and take a look.

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Under The Skin’s basic premise involves an alien (Johannson) that drives up and down the Scottish countryside in its white van, looking for men.  Specifically, men that have immigrated from different countries, or have  no family or friends nearby that would expect their presence, or report them missing.  Johannson really gets to show her range here, as she goes from extremely charming when trying to find out if a man fits her profile.  She’s mechanically efficient, going through a checklist.  Do you have family here? Any friends? Are we near your work, where somebody could see you?  If they aren’t a match, she shuts off and moves on immediately, devoid of any facial expression.

(SPOILER ALERT STARTS NOW.)

If they do fit her requirements, she convinces them to get in her van, where they drive to one of her many predetermined locations.  It’s not quite clear if this is a portal or what exactly, but the whole area is pitch dark.  As she disrobes slowly, the men follow her, removing their clothing as well.  They are too distracted by ScarJo’s nudity to recognize that they are slowly sinking into an agar like substance, suspending them until they cannot move.   At this point, they are liquidated and converted into food for the alien race. Eek!

Everything in Under The Skin just screams ‘art house flick’, but the production values are nowhere close to a minuscule budget.  The alien sequences are riveting and disgusting at the same time.  Much has been made of the documentary style way that the film was captured.  The conversation scenes between Johansson and the men are entirely unplanned, and it’s up to her personal charm and not inconsiderable looks to draw these men into a van.  Once inside, the production crew lets them in on the secret and what the rest of the process will be like. (I’m referring of course to getting naked and sinking slowly into the alien agar.)  The visual effects are pretty amazing and horrifying at the same time.  They really hammer home the idea that her character is really a hunter, even if she does begin to be infected with human feeling.

Audio & Video

There are a lot stark blacks in Under The Skin, especially when she takes her victims to those special rooms to be devoured.   I could easily tell what was what, and was never taken out of the action of the movie.  The soundtrack is relatively quiet.  In fact, it’s hard to get over just how much quiet there is.  Music in general is quite minimal, minus the odd violin stabs or ambient crowd and scene noises.  The sound design reminds me of a Bernard Hermann soundtrack from an old Hitchcock movie, if the choir was replaced by wraiths.

Special Features

They have a pretty in depth making of included in Under The Skin, broken up into sections. I liked listening to all the production people discuss how they came to their various decisions, and why Glazer made the choices that he did. One of the more interesting sections involved the casting process. I had read on the Wiki page that they had decided to cast a number of parts with non actors, or people that a very small body of work.

Overall

I don’t usually go for this arty of a film. While I’m not opposed to more ambiguous works, I tend to prefer my movies as I do my music: loud and direct. Having Scarlett Johannson definitely helped keep your attention through all the silence. That being said, Under The Skin is an excellent movie, worth watching at least once or twice. I watched it all the way through, then started going back over the pieces that I may have interpreted incorrectly. Watching Johannson go from flirty to brutal to empathetic, often within one scene was a definite treat, and really made me take her seriously.  Glazer doesn’t often make films, but when he does, they pack a massive wallop.  This is a challenging movie, but only if you expected Aliens 5.  Breathe in the weird, and let Under The Skin in.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Under The Skin out of 5 trapped naked dudes!

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