woodcoinmagazine
This film portends to break new ground but falls into exploitative trash within an hour. The first boy as a prepubescent learns gay sex from a coach, then becomes a whoring teen; meanwhile, the second nonsexual boy becomes a weirdo with alien- abduction theories. You can maybe guess the "twist" already! What a waste of time, this shallow and predictable film, bent on a pseudo- intellectual audience. (Gordon-Levitt was a TV sitcom actor for a reason -- he works well in 2 dimensions, not 3! Too bad about his co-star having to ride in the passenger seat.) Extreme poser-lit-as-cinema, promising untold truths yet delivering nothing but the PC police. My guess is that the writer of the novel on which this movie is based was sexually active as a kid and wants to cash in on the latest trend by being a mouthpiece against underage sex and sexuality. An unartistic attempt at metaphor (some cereal/serial and a sexless cow? Pathetic as the snow falling on cold-hearted teens). Skip this piece of propaganda because it's nothing more than an adult saying: do as I say, not as I do. At least the corny director always has a future in kiddy porn... For a serious and fair film with a sardonic sense of humor on this same subject please do watch "L.I.E." instead.
Uatu the movie watcher
I expected this to be a thrilling Alien mystery movie. That's what the title and the description of the movie suggests. Instead I got what is basically morose and depressing softcore gay porn.The story is thin and boring, the only time you'll be on the edge of your seat is when you need to stretch your legs to get the blood circulating again. "The big twist" is extremely predictable, which is a major pet peeve of mine. There's nothing I hate more than a movie which builds up to a forgone conclusion, especially if they take one and a half hours to get there. "Mysterious Skin" seems to want to convince us that sexually abusing children is immoral and has a major effect on their lives. Like that in itself is some revolutionary eye opening idea in the 21st century. I could have forgiven the misleading promotional material if they would have actually created a philosophical and poetic masterpiece. But instead it just tries to gross us out all the time despite the fact that we're already thoroughly grossed out by the idea. I give this movie a 4/10. Frankly I don't understand the praise this movie got at all. Just because it talks about difficult taboo subjects like pedophilia, homosexuality and prostitution, doesn't mean it does it in a dignified and thoughtful manner. Which it didn't.
videorama-759-859391
Mysterious Skin is unlike the other Greg Araki films, as it doesn't feel like one, where normally there's crude humor within the drama, and sick violence, not to say The Living End, his debut was the other great one, where here he's climbed back up, and redeemed himself, in what is his best film. Alongside Palindromes, with it's pedophile themes, here this excellent films deals with the issues and scarring effects, it can have on one victim, that chiefly being of Corbett's innocent and slightly vulnerable character, that he wonderfully plays. Corbett is one of those really elite young actors, who I hadn't recognized years later as the plump psycho in the Funny Games remake. Here his character was abused as a kid by a baseball coach, spoiling him with lollies and taking him to R rated movies. One night he's punished, locked in a closet. Now in his teen years, he's having nightmares of alien abductions, where his only cure, could be going back to that of the past, revisiting his childhood, where he hunts down another of the victims, now a hustler, played by a take notice performance as seen in the great Joseph Gordan Levitt, who makes the movie his. His character sets no boundaries, picking up dirty old johns, one moustouched guy, also seen in Palindromes, another of that, being the creepy and evily smiling Billy Drago (check out his teeth). The film is a beautiful and poignant drama, and one of the more affecting films that deal with pedophilia, where to think it was initially in talks of being banned, that itself, is sick. Like these films, or ones that are banned, all together, these which are in denial of being shown, are crimes against cinema, for MS which luckily escaped a banning, was one of the best films and drama of 2005, where Mr Araki, should be proud to put his signature on. When our two long lost victims, finally meet which at first is, ugly, that last comforting scene, last moment, is one for the annals of cinematic memory. MS is a beautiful and dramatic Art house film which deserves bloody attention from all, with fantastic performances all around.
Richard Alex Jenkins
Admittedly, the source material could offend many people who went unaware, just like me, into this film. I really had no idea what the film was about other than it looked somehow appealing and I'd already watched two Hollywood-fodder-ish films earlier during the day and wanted something perhaps off the beaten track.The subject material is, of course, somewhat disturbing, but after about 40 minutes I chuckled to myself (in that knowing way) because I was really enjoying the film. The pleasure you feel when you have found a little gem that isn't trying to pander to anyone, but has something to say and is just going to say it anyway.As for the people who were offended by the subject material. You can't really address topics like homosexuality or paedophilia without delving into imagery that might offend. I didn't feel, however, that the film attempted to glamorise or encourage such practices. I saw a lot of young people who were having a hard time of it, who were looking for answers, wanted to know why they were so f**ked up about the past, and eventually found out why. Not through fault of their own but because of their upbringing - the absent father, divorced mother or paedophile coach at school that took advantage of little boys.The Director approached things in a light-hearted, free-spirited sort of way that I really enjoyed. Perhaps this was done in an overly frivolous way that offended some people? Perhaps the synopsis about aliens and abductions is misleading, I agree with that, but rotten things do happen to kids and the Director's interpretation of this through kids blocking out the bad memories by supplanting them with something more fantastical, was very clever. Some of the scenes were disgusting, yes, but also very true, funny, shocking and entertaining.Gregg Araki approached it wonderfully and I was really pleased with this film. It reminded me of 'Trainspotting', and in no small part of 'Lilya 4-Ever', which was equally shocking and entertaining, but didn't set out to offend, but to enlighten people who are broad-minded and experienced enough to appreciate gritty film-making.
AD
