Under the Skin is Unlike Anything You Will Ever See; A Modern Masterpiece in Every Way

It’s been 10 years since Jonathan Glazer’s last film, “Birth” starring Nicole Kidman, opened to maddeningly polarized reviews. “Under the Skin”, his third feature, marks his return to the film world. Glazer had planned to direct the film after the release of his debut feature, “Sexy Beast” back in 2000, and originally co-wrote the film to star Brad Pitt as one of two aliens disguised as farmers. However, he ended up choosing to instead tell the story from an alien’s perspective of society, and decided to make that alien a female, scrapping the Brad Pitt character. 

Scarlett Johansson, dressed in a shaggy yet short, brunette wig complete with a fur coat, skinny jeans and cute heels, portrays the mysterious female alien (her name is never given). She drives around various towns and areas in Scotland in her white van, stopping every so often to talk to lonely men walking the streets. Her story for stopping is different with every man she stops for. Sometimes she tells them she’s running an errand, sometimes she’s lost, but no matter what she tells them she’s doing, her intent is to get them into her van, and home with her. Though it’s never explicitly stated, reading between the lines will tell you that there is a promise of sex, which excites her potential suitors. Once their inside, however, it’s clear that sex is not what’s going on. 

The film is 100 percent an “art film”; in no way is this a commercial story like “The Amazing Spiderman 2”. There is very little dialogue, as the film relies heavily on the beautiful imagery to tell the story, with Johansson’s gorgeously expressive face at the forefront to guide us, beautifully complimented by the ominous, but equally amazing, soundtrack that fills each scene. Instead of speaking, she is required to sell her character to the audience with the use of only her face. Though there are brief respites from her vague emptiness during the interactions with the men(a girlish laugh, some small talk), Johansson’s performance is predominantly a quiet one, but in no way does that take away from the intensity of it. 

Scarlett Johansson hasn’t had the opportunity in her long, eclectic career to do something like this before. Though she has proven herself to be a very formidable talent onscreen (“Match Point”, “Lost In Translation”, “Girl With the Pearl Earring”, “Don Jon”) and even off screen (“Her”) never has she been this explosively vulnerable; this is easily a career best performance for her, and an iconic piece of work that will be remembered for years to come. She is easily the most gorgeous, objectified actress of her generation, which has unfortunately reflected in a large amount of her film choices; audiences see her as this other-worldly beauty. In Under the Skin, Jonathan Glazer makes her literally out of this world, and in doing so, makes her the most human she’s ever appeared on screen; by giving herself over to becoming a director’s vision (instead of his muse, a la Woody Allen), she is brought back to planet Earth, and is able to simply be. 

Like last year’s “Gravity”, this  is a film that must be experienced rather than heard about. But Gravity was more of a ride, challenging audiences to survive alongside Sandra Bullock’s character; we were thrilled and entertained. Skin, though equally (if not moreso) beautifully and thrilling, challenges us in a different way, to the very nature of how we view film. It’s a film that, like it’s protagonist, is very mysterious and keeps us at an arms length by giving us questions rather than answers, and images instead of words. We don’t know why exactly Johansson’s character is rounding out these men nor do we know where she comes from or what becomes of these men once they’re captured (though you can draw your own conclusions). What’s shocking to realize, is that all of this truly irrelevant to the overall meaning of the film itself. If the film is a painting, the “alien abductor” premise serves as the canvas. Johansson’s character, through her interaction with her potential victims, becomes increasingly aware of her human disguise, and the emotions she begins to feel as a result frighten her to the core, and as voyeurs, we are actively challenged to consider our own humanity along with her. Glazer’s probing questions concerning the fear, lust, frustration and sadness we feel as human beings serve as the vibrant colors that fill the canvas, rendering it into the beautiful, bold piece of art the film is. Glazer and Johansson have crafted a work of pure art that deserves to be admired and discussed amongst everyone. Under the Skin is unlike anything you have ever, or will ever see; it’s a modern day classic that will have you thinking and questioning things from a whole new perspective. 

Grade: A+

Oscar Chances: This is 100% not in the Academy wheelhouse, not even close. Johansson's performance is not the type to be recognized by the actor's branch, it's too quiet and internalized to be recognized as "acting", and the film won't be beloved enough to get a (deserving) nomination for Glazer. I think this will be more of a critic's darling if anything, maybe some Indie Spirit love if they're feeling bold (they probably won't be).