"That's a nice-a donut."
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Mysterious Skin (2005)
Director Gregg Araki, who previously helmed such wild and stunning takes on teenagedom and young adulthood in The Doom Generation and Totally F***cked Up, again tackles the demands of youth in Mysterious Skin, a very intimate and personal vision of childhood gone wrong.
The story focuses on two seemingly very different teenagers at the start of their adult lives in the middle of Kansas. Before we get to that though, Araki takes us back to revisit several formative moments in the lives of Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Brian (Brady Corbet). Neil has a wild, drunken mother (Elisabeth Shue) and was abused as a young child by his Little League coach. But even at that time and at that early age, he believes that he was a little different (read: gay). As he grew older he began to get more reckless and self-destructive. Meanwhile, Brian was a weird little kid and would get nosebleeds all the time. A strange UFO/alien experience coupled with a mysterious experience in a cellar sends him on a downward spiral. Years later in the present time, Neil is sort of off in his own little universe and works as a man-whore; Brian is on the search for the truth about his alien abduction as a child. Their paths cross, and the pair must come to terms with their childhood demons if they want to have any hope of a normal life.
With any character study such as this, the acting is of paramount importance and, for the most part, doesn't disappoint. Levitt completely embodies his role as Neil, and makes it seems as if it was his own life. His is clearly the showier role. When someone describes Neil to another they tell that that whereas normal people have a heart Neil "has a bottomless black hole. And if you don't watch out, you can fall in and get lost forever." And you believe it. Levitt, who is probably most recognizable from a role in the lost comedy series Third Rock from the Sun, clearly gives a breakthrough performance. The supporting roles were all ably filled as well. Corbet, on the other hand, while perhaps given more of a blank slate character, never rises to the occasion. It's not terrible, but he never sucked me in and gave me reason to really care if he found the truth.
Though it is very dramatic and solemn at times and the lives and events that are portrayed could be quite sad, Mysterious Skin smartly fuses healthy doses of everyday humor and even some biting laugh-out-loud humor. One such scene is where Brian and multi-time alien abductee Avalyn (the crazy eccentric Chloe from "24", Mary Lynn Rajskub) are discussing their UFO abductions and how the aliens will use tracking devices on their victims. Brian mentions his nosebleeds and Avalyn, ever the believer, coolly responds "the old up-the-nose trick - so the scar can't be seen." There is also plenty of playful banter and drunken moments between Neil and his punkish friend Eric (Jeff Licon).
But this isn't a comedy. It is a sometimes devastating story of crushed dreams and (at least) one emotionally and physically wrenching scene. Araki dares to ask the question of whether one event (or at least a chain of related events) from childhood can actually affect a person that much. And with the heavy use of close-ups on people's faces, he dares us to not only look closer at these characters, but to even look closer at our own selves. There is a glimmer of hope by the end. But perhaps not enough. Mysterious Skin is generally a fine, well-paced movie, and Araki should be proud. I just don't want to look anymore.
The Verdict: B.
Michael Bentley 8:13 AM
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