Under My Skin

You never know what to expect from a Pedro Almodovar film, that's why I purposely did not ready anything about "The Skin I Live In" before seeing it. I did not want to know anything about the plot, since I think that's the best way to experience his films. I want my reactions to it to be fresh. This movie is definitely bizarre, a hybrid of horror, melodrama, all wrapped in wit and intelligence, though. You don't know if he is doing all of this with a *wink* but you do know he definitely knows what he is doing. Nothing is not planned, and all of it makes sense. About a quarter into the movie, I was so confused and was doubting my comprehension. And then the whole thing started to make sense, and it is full of vivid imagery that you just succumb to it. You believe it before questioning it. This is one of those movies I cannot wait to see for a second time. After you know how everything goes down, you now search for clues you may have missed, and concentrate on the layered performances here. Antonio Banderas has never looked better. I have read about him and his wife getting his and her facelifts, and if that is true, then his surgeon has done a magnificent job on him. He gives a straightforward performance her that doesn't call attention, even if its very essence is so complicatedly bizarre. I can't remember the last time I saw hm give as good performance. As a matter of fact, I am now racking my brain on the last movie I have seen of his. Marisa Paredes gives an almost comic-relief presence, but I was mesmerized by Elena Anaya. Her face is a blank slate, and that is exactly almost a literal translation of her role. Almodovar sets a mindset, and everyone is on board, and even if, let's be real, this is a story that's almost science fiction, it's human and very honest. I am still in pleasant shock.