Under The Skin

Scarlet Johansson have made an incredible journey as an actress. She have tried all kinds of genres and characters, and she seem to continue to explore different film projects. One of the most rememorable performances she have done so far, is without a doubt Lost In Translation, where Bill Murray did a simply fantastic performance. This may be his best film so far in his career, if you have not seen this one, rent it, or even buy it. One motion picture that does not get mentioned a lot, is Don Jon. Scarlet did a really well made performance, as a very shallow woman, trying to find the perfect man, and be overwhelmed with romance. There are of course many more i could mention, but let us focus on one of her latest releases. Under The Skin is a sci fi art film, directed by the very talented director Jonathan Glazer. If you have not heard of him, you might recognize some of his earlier motion pictures Sexy Beast and Birth. Very different genre films indeed, but they both are very unique in different ways. One thing i was told, is that Under The Skin is filmed in Scotland, and that made me smile. I love Scotland, and scottish people, so whenever i get to see Scotland on film again, i always feel happy. With a great lead actress, and a very talented director, is Under The Skin another unique film from Jonathan Glazer, or is this the wrong genre for his talent ?


On a highway in Scotland, a motorcyclist pick up a womans body from the side of the road, and place her in a van. She is taken to a place where she is undressed by a naked woman ( Scarlet Johansson ). The same naked woman, go out to find male victims, on the streets of Edinburgh. Every man who agree to have a lift in her van, turn out to become the next victims. Suddenly one day she hears on the radio, Police have found a body, as they try to find out what happened. The woman continue her journey, to pick up men and lead them to her home. Who is she ? What does she really want ?

Did you notice that i never mentioned Scarlets character name ?, the fact is that she have no name. If you did not enjoy the earlier films of Jonathan Glazer, you probably won´t enjoy Under The Skin. But on the other hand, if you love original films, who are complicated, you might want to see this one. This is not an ordinary sci fi motion picture. In fact, i would probably call this more of a psycological drama. Scarlet Johansson proves once again why she is such a great actor. To try and show no emotions, or remorse, is not easy to do from an acting perspective. It is almost as if she is a robot, but at the same time not. This is an art film for sure. Very odd scenery, especially in the scenes where men fall down into a black substance, and are locked underneath. If there is one negative thing about Under The Skin, is that there are too many slow scenes. The story feels so drawn out for such a long time, it is very easy to feel sleepy. But, when the highlights kick in, i still feel that this is an interesting motion picture. Under The Skin seems to have influences from Stanley Kubrick, but Jonathan only use the tools when he needs too. The scenes filmed in Edinburgh brings back memories, especially how friendly people were there. Under The Skin is not an easy film to watch through almost 2 hours. You really need to have an open mind. I would say that this is a good motion picture, just far too long. 

Rating: DDD