Antonio Banderas Goes to the Dark Side in Almodovar's 'Skin I Live In'
Mention the name Pedro Almodovar to film buffs and you'll be met with nothing but admiration and love.
This is after all the master filmmaker responsible for some of the best cinema to emerge out of Spain in the past 20 years. From his Academy Award-nominated classic "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" to the Penelope Cruz-starring foreign hit "Volver," Almodovar is an auteur of the highest order; which is why his latest "The Skin I Live In" is so anticipated.
There are two other chief reasons why fans of his work are clamoring to see what he has in store. Firstly, it's a medical thriller (a genre Almodovar has never tackled before). And lastly, it reunites the director with Antonio Banderas for the first time in two decades.
In his most crazed and creepy performance to date (this ain't "The Mast of Zorro"), the aging Spanish heartthrob plays Robert Ledgard, a plastic surgeon/mad scientist on a quest to create impenetrable human skin. To make his demented dreams a reality, he holds a beautiful woman, Vera (Elena Anaya), captive in his sprawling estate, subjecting her to routine tests and experiments. She makes for one gorgeous human guinea pig.
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The narrative spirals into a slew of other directions like all Almodovar tales. Suffice to say, we won't spoil the endless mysteries that await you. All we'll say is, Vera isn't quite who you think she is.
On paper, Almodovar's latest marks a leap in another direction for the director. But in execution, "The Skin I Live In" is an Almodovar joint though and through.
Like all Almodovar films, "The Skin I Live In" is gorgeous to behold. Immaculately shot by Jose Luis Alcaine, who has collaborated with Almodovar countless times before, "The Skin I Live In" pulsates with the bold color scheme the director is known for. The lush score by Alberto Iglesias ("Talk to Her") also sizzles, adding to the sheer cinematic flair of the film.
Fans of Almodovar will no doubt eat this juicy tale up. Newcomers, welcome to the club.
