Friday, April 08, 2005
Mysterious Skin
Directed by Gregg Araki
Mysterious Skin is one of those independent films that tries to be Hollywood and indie at the same time; and ends up not knowing where it is going. Moreover, it is structurally flawed with such a loose plot of little casualities between scenes that one wonders what the filmmaker is trying to get.
The story follows two 8-year-old, Neil and Brian (Ellison and Webster) who seems to be connected by a common experience. Neil comes from a single parent family, and also happens to be the coach´s (Bill Sage) apple of the eye. Brian is a bespectacled geek who believes that he was kidnapped by aliens when he was younger.
Years later, Neil acted by the twinky Gordon-Levitt becomes a street gay hustler. He leaves for New York to settle with childhood chum, Wendy, (Michelle Trachtenberg). Meanwhile, Brian (Brady Lackey) continues to search for the truth about his abduction; and finds Neil´s friend, Eric (Jeffrey Licon)who becomes the bridge to his quest.
While it is Neil, the protagonist, which the film tries to center on, it does not help that we are given a haphazard profile of his fucked up child/teenagehood. As an example, his hustling encounters are very much unexplained. Then, it seems as if he has a fetish for older men. Brian is so convincing as a geek and yet so stereotypical he feels like a cardboard character.
It is not easy to make a movie about paedophilia likely because there are very few research being done. In addition, society´s perception and uneasiness towards paedophilia also contributes towards an awkwardness which is apparent in many similar themed movies.
The problem with Mysterious Skin, besides a loose plot and cardboard characters, is its inability to engage the audience, besides trying very hard to wring every possible heartfelt emotion out of the average audience, which of course, turns the most critical spectator away.
Directed by Gregg Araki
Mysterious Skin is one of those independent films that tries to be Hollywood and indie at the same time; and ends up not knowing where it is going. Moreover, it is structurally flawed with such a loose plot of little casualities between scenes that one wonders what the filmmaker is trying to get.
The story follows two 8-year-old, Neil and Brian (Ellison and Webster) who seems to be connected by a common experience. Neil comes from a single parent family, and also happens to be the coach´s (Bill Sage) apple of the eye. Brian is a bespectacled geek who believes that he was kidnapped by aliens when he was younger.
Years later, Neil acted by the twinky Gordon-Levitt becomes a street gay hustler. He leaves for New York to settle with childhood chum, Wendy, (Michelle Trachtenberg). Meanwhile, Brian (Brady Lackey) continues to search for the truth about his abduction; and finds Neil´s friend, Eric (Jeffrey Licon)who becomes the bridge to his quest.
While it is Neil, the protagonist, which the film tries to center on, it does not help that we are given a haphazard profile of his fucked up child/teenagehood. As an example, his hustling encounters are very much unexplained. Then, it seems as if he has a fetish for older men. Brian is so convincing as a geek and yet so stereotypical he feels like a cardboard character.
It is not easy to make a movie about paedophilia likely because there are very few research being done. In addition, society´s perception and uneasiness towards paedophilia also contributes towards an awkwardness which is apparent in many similar themed movies.
The problem with Mysterious Skin, besides a loose plot and cardboard characters, is its inability to engage the audience, besides trying very hard to wring every possible heartfelt emotion out of the average audience, which of course, turns the most critical spectator away.
