Mixing melodrama, horror, romance and science-fiction, Almodóvar's latest film could have come from no one else, says Alex Davidson. Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya star.
Even by Pedro Almodovar’s heroically unconventional standards, The Skin I Live In is a unique piece of cinema. Mixing a number of genres – melodrama, horror, romance, sci-fi – the Spanish Master (and he has directed enough modern classics to merit the title) has created a fascinating, often shocking work that mixes the outrageous antics of his early films to the perfectly judged melodrama of his later ‘mature’ works.
Antonio Banderas plays a surgeon who keeps a beautiful young woman captive; we learn he has developed a new kind of skin that does not burn, which he has grafted on to his prisoner. When the surgeon is out, a bank robber effects entry into the house and sees the young woman on CCTV, sparking off a chain of events that will eventually spiral even further out of control – although as an extended flashback demonstrates, we ain’t seen nothing yet.
There are strong performances from Almodovar regulars Banderas and Marisa Paredes as the surgeon’s sinister servant, but the real standout is Elena Anaya as the imprisoned woman – she gave striking performances in earlier works by Julio Médem and Tom Kalin, but nothing previously suggested the extraordinary range she displays as Almodovar's complex heroine. The sexual politics that emerge as the story unfolds are uncomfortable, and may offend some viewers – to say why would give too much away, but it is no surprise the film has aroused controversy. In the hands of a less experienced director the film could have been a lurid mess of hysterical camp, yet when it comes to depictions of outré sexuality, no one does it better than Almodovar.
The film borrows its references from variety of sources. It is based on Thierry Jonquet's novel Tarantula and there are some similarities, both in plot and in tone, to The Eyes without a Face (1960) and The Collector (1965). And Hitchcock's influence hangs over many of the later scenes, as the film becomes increasingly suspenseful (there is a hint of Mrs Danvers to Paredes' character). But, as ever, Almodovar's style remains unique - it's a film no one else would - or could - have made.
Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested in creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve years, he manages to cultivate a skin that is a real shield against every assault. In addition to years of study and experimentation, Robert needed a further three things: no scruples, an accomplice and a human guinea pig. Scruples were never a problem. Marilia, the woman who looked after him from the day he was born, is his most faithful accomplice. And as for the human guinea pig...
