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Scarlett Johansson ostensibly plays a seductress constantly on the lookout for men to lure into becoming her next 'catch' but it quickly becomes clear all is not exactly as it appears on the surface. And that's as much as I'll say on the plot, chances are you already know more but if not I'm afraid you'll get no extra info here as I think this is better seen first time around without too much foreknowledge.
Parts of this are visually stunning and when coupled with the disturbingly hypnotic soundtrack those segments are very effective. There are also some beautiful shots of some quite gorgeous Scottish scenery in the second half. Where the film is less effective imo are the more mundane shots, certainly in the first half, that serve a purpose but are too often overly drawn out and when in close proximity to each other make the movie drag somewhat. That the film is quite spartan in it's use of dialogue mostly works in it's favour, especially in the earlier stages where the eerie soundtrack helps build a sense of unease. Where there is dialogue it's a mixed bag for me - the parts that presumably are unscripted aren't great but at least feel natural whereas those that appear to have been scripted are either nothing to write home about (pun intended) or in at least one place pretty poor.
Another aspect that didn't work that well for me was the character arc of the leading lady, there is no real justification or reason given for her sudden shift in stance - if the audience are expected to believe this is part of a natural process more needed to be done to lay the groundwork for that imo. I can understand why others may not agree with me on that particular point though, I think it's something you either buy into or you don't and I didn't myself.
For me it's a film that I'm a bit on the fence about after seeing it for the first time, aspects of it I enjoyed whilst others left me somewhat frustrated. I do believe it may well be one in which a subsequent viewing better determines my feelings though so time will hopefully tell on which side of the fence I eventually fall.
Under The Skin (2013) - Jonathan Glazer - +
Scarlett Johansson ostensibly plays a seductress constantly on the lookout for men to lure into becoming her next 'catch' but it quickly becomes clear all is not exactly as it appears on the surface. And that's as much as I'll say on the plot, chances are you already know more but if not I'm afraid you'll get no extra info here as I think this is better seen first time around without too much foreknowledge.
Parts of this are visually stunning and when coupled with the disturbingly hypnotic soundtrack those segments are very effective. There are also some beautiful shots of some quite gorgeous Scottish scenery in the second half. Where the film is less effective imo are the more mundane shots, certainly in the first half, that serve a purpose but are too often overly drawn out and when in close proximity to each other make the movie drag somewhat. That the film is quite spartan in it's use of dialogue mostly works in it's favour, especially in the earlier stages where the eerie soundtrack helps build a sense of unease. Where there is dialogue it's a mixed bag for me - the parts that presumably are unscripted aren't great but at least feel natural whereas those that appear to have been scripted are either nothing to write home about (pun intended) or in at least one place pretty poor.
Another aspect that didn't work that well for me was the character arc of the leading lady, there is no real justification or reason given for her sudden shift in stance - if the audience are expected to believe this is part of a natural process more needed to be done to lay the groundwork for that imo. I can understand why others may not agree with me on that particular point though, I think it's something you either buy into or you don't and I didn't myself.
For me it's a film that I'm a bit on the fence about after seeing it for the first time, aspects of it I enjoyed whilst others left me somewhat frustrated. I do believe it may well be one in which a subsequent viewing better determines my feelings though so time will hopefully tell on which side of the fence I eventually fall.