Under The Skin: Review

Under The Skin is a disturbing yet strangely touching film, based on a novel by Michel Faber.

Scarlett Johansson gives a remarkable performance as an alien being. She has arrived in our world, disguised herself as a human, and gone out to seduce and capture men. She brings them back to what appears to be a derelict house on the edge of Glasgow, where they suffer a horrifying fate. Why she does this is unclear, but her approach is a dark mirror of all the men out there who view women as trophies to be seized.

It seems she begins to be intrigued by humans, and contemplate them as something other than targets for capture. Although she looks human and speaks English, she has absolutely no understanding of our motivations or her own disguise as one of us. In the end, she proves unprepared for how dangerous humans can be.

Johansson perfectly conveys the perspective of this alien, a being utterly outside human society who observes it as a scientist might study a curious new species of insect. It is a nice touch for her to speak with an English accent instead of her native American -- it results in speech rhythms that are just a little bit wrong, trying a little bit too hard, and perfectly reflects her character. Her performance is understated, but every word and gesture counts.

UTS is packed with brilliant and disturbing visuals of alien activity and bleak, gorgeous Highland landscapes, anchored by the everyday reality of the streets of Glasgow. It is very slow-paced, but I personally enjoyed that, as it allows us to appreciate the alien's detachment from the world and the slow, gradual buildup to terrifying events.

This is a weird, unsettling and brilliant piece of cinema.

Only Lovers Left Alive: Review

I saw Only Lovers Left Alive a week ago so I’m coming to this a little late, but it’s still out in UK cinemas and I highly recommend it. This film pulls off the difficult trick of combining the sensuality, decadence and angst of the vampire condition with a wickedly funny sense of humour.

OLLA centres on two vampires, Adam and Eve, played respectively by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. Both of them very much look the part; it seems likely Swinton keeps a ravaged and ancient self-portrait in an attic somewhere.  John Hurt also appears, giving a great performance as a vampire who is physically aged and weakened, but mentally as sharp as ever.

Adam is well over one hundred years old, but it appears that he was most comfortable in the rock-and-roll era, somewhere between 1950 and 1970. As the film opens, he lives in a dilapidated house in an otherwise deserted neighbourhood of Detroit, surrounded by musical instruments and analogue recording and mixing equipment. He is a very talented musician, but never performs in public; instead, he records his music for himself.

Adam is consumed by ennui, disgusted by the state of the modern world and particularly by modern music. It is no coincidence that he is in Detroit, once the home of Motown, later of Eminem and Jack White (the latter being mentioned by name).  Now it is a city in severe decline, with a population less than half what it was in 1950. Adam spends a great deal of time wandering aimlessly through the empty streets, into grand and decaying abandoned buildings. He has found a place which suits his mood perfectly.

Eve is older -- we don’t know exactly how much, but she has been around at least since the Middle Ages. While Adam’s great obsession is music, hers is literature. She lives in Tangier, Morocco, which has faded grandeur of a very different kind from Detroit. Her house is filled to bursting with books in many languages.

This is one of the few films which addresses unlife from the vampire’s perspective. What exactly does one do with eternal life? Vampires’ powers, appetites, and intolerance for daylight separate them from ordinary humans, who may be allies or even friends but can never truly understand them.

OLLA is to a large extent about the vampires’ attempts to find meaning in their endless existence. It is deliberately slow-paced; the best way to watch it is to relax, be patient, and settle into the vampiric mindset. One of its best features is that it does not feel the need to explain every detail. We are not told why vampires like to wear gloves; why Adam and Eve chose to live on separate continents; or what exactly happens to Eve’s sister; but we can make some very well-informed guesses.

All this sounds serious, but OLLA has some moments of extraordinary humour, especially when vampires interact with mortals who don’t understand their condition -- or who are beginning to understand much more than they would like. This film is magnificent fun.