[MellySingsDoom]

Under The Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013) - This is the latest effort from the "Sexy Beast" director, and features Scarlett Johansson in the lead role. The plot, such as it is, involves Johansson (who has no name in the film) going around an un-named part of Scotland, first within a town, and later on into the countryside. She wanders around in an almost random at times fashion, and has intimate encounters with a number of men she picks up - mostly just hinted at, but the last encounter is more candid. Eventually she ends up in some woodland, where a woodland officer attempts to rape her. She fights off this attacker, only for her then to literally shed her skin and transform into an alien-like creature. The rapist returns and sets Johansson on fire, and the film ends with her demise.

"Under The Skin" has no real narrative form, so depends on the visual aspect to keep things going, and I have to say it really doesn't work. Whilst Johansson has presence indeed, and comes across as an empathetic, confident woman, there simply isn't enough going on to keep things engaging, and I have to admit to finding myself becoming somewhat distracted in parts. There's some nice visual touches at times (harking back to Glazier's previous career as a music video director), and the thematic and and incidental music works well, but there's also moments where the pace really does slow down too much, and the sci-fi element only really comes into being right at the end. In addition, I didn't particularly enjoy the message that this film seems to convey, which is that if you're a confident, engaged and sexually active woman, you can expect to end up abused and dead! Hardly a cheery or positive thing to take on board, is it?

This is the first film that Glazier has directed in nearly 10 years (following on from 2004's "Birth), and to be honest, he really could have done a much better job here. Such is the general ennui and lack of focus in "Under The Skin", that not even Johansson can save it, and ultimately this is a more miss than hit affair for me. The first truly disappointing film I've seen on the big screen so far this year.