La piel que habito (2011)

A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writers:

Agustín Almodóvar (collaboration), Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay),

Stars:

Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 21 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Antonio Banderas	...	Robert Ledgard
Elena Anaya	...	Vera Cruz
Marisa Paredes	...	Marilia
Jan Cornet	...	Vicente
Roberto Álamo	...	Zeca
Eduard Fernández	...	Fulgencio
José Luis Gómez	...	Presidente del Instituto de Biotecnología
Blanca Suárez	...	Norma Ledgard
Susi Sánchez	...	Madre de Vicente
Bárbara Lennie	...	Cristina
Fernando Cayo	...	Médico
Chema Ruiz	...	Policía
Buika	...	Cantante (as Concha Buika)
Ana Mena	...	Norma joven
Teresa Manresa	...	Casilda Efraiz

Storyline

In honor of his late wife who died in a flaming car accident, scientist, Dr. Robert Ledgard, is trying to synthesize the perfect skin which can withstand burns, cuts or any other kind of damage. As he gets closer to perfecting this skin on his flawless patient, the scientific community starts growing skeptical and his past is revealed that shows how his patient is closely linked to tragic events he would like to forget.

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Plot Keywords:

skin | death | revenge | key | plastic surgeon | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content including sexual assault, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook [gb] Official Facebook [us]

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

2 September 2011 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Koža u kojoj živim

Filming Locations:

A Estrada, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$223,119 (USA) (14 October 2011)

Gross:

$3,185,193 (USA) (23 March 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blue Haze Entertainment, Canal+ España, El Deseo D.A. S.L.U.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The man that goes to the dress shop to bring his wife's garments, is Agustín Almodóvar, producer of the film and brother of Pedro Almodóvar.

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Goofs

When Ledgard's colleagues come to his mansion to perform the operation, one of them arrives in the Mercedes-Benz E class coupe which came into production in 2010. But the operation took place in 2006. Vicente wrote after the operation dates from 2006 on the wall of his room.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Marilia: [to servant] Help me with the dumbwaiter.

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Connections

Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: ¡...con Phineas & Ferb! (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Petite fleur"
Written by Sidney Bechet

User Reviews

Almodovar does body horror...but not really

As a longtime fan of Pedro Almodovar's films, I will admit the trailer for his latest film The Skin I Live In left me somewhat baffled. Having now seen the film however, I see the method in his madness. The trailer tells you little or nothing about the film but bombards the viewer with crazy images which are in retrospect probably designed to confuse. The trailer serves the purpose of telling the viewer very little of what the film is about while titillating with striking visuals. A bold move but an effective one, because the less you know about this film going in the better.

With that in mind, I'll keep this review short and will try not to give anything away. Antonio Banderas plays a rather unhinged scientist who is keeping a beautiful young woman prisoner in his home while using her as a human guinea pig for a new type of synthetic human skin. That's about as much information as you need. As the story unfolds, petal by petal in that flower-like way we've become accustomed to seeing from Almodovar, each scene adds wonder and flavour to an already robust set-up. Moving at a break-neck pace, not a frame is without beauty and not a second is wasted without pushing the story along. This screenplay is extremely polished and beautifully nuanced.

As usual, cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine delivers beautifully vibrant visuals, but unlike other Almodovar films, this palette is decidedly less colourful, sticking mainly to Cronenbergian metallic colours fused with fleshy tones but with the odd gash of vibrant colour. It is as beautiful to behold as any other Almodovar film, but perhaps less garish.

In a film that relies on ambiguity in so many ways the cast here must be commended. Delicate balances are achieved by all concerned and it's wonderful to see Antonio Banderas settling into the rather unsettling role of Dr. Robert Ledgard. He exudes the same charisma and sexual bravura that made him famous but without the least whiff of sex symbol status coming through in the performance. He is creepy, strangely alluring and underplays the "mad scientist" bit admirably. Elena Anayas also impresses in a very challenging performance both physically and emotionally, both of which are perfectly effective as her story unfolds. A brilliant character who may not have been so impressive in the hands of a less capable actress. The camera intimately caresses her face and body throughout and she steadfastly rises to the challenge of being as beautiful a muse as a director could ask for.

It is unlikely that Almodovar will win over any new fans with The Skin I Live In but he will surely satisfy his already massive fanbase. A dark, thoughtful, frightening piece but never shying away from the heights of melodrama that Almodovar is known for, this sits beautifully on the line between Cronenberg at his best and a crazy soap opera.

Unique, Gothic and delightfully melodramatic! I love it!

http://charlenefilmblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/skin-i-live-in.html