Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

The Skin I Live In Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 31, 2011

Nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Pedro Almodovar's "La piel que habito" a.k.a "The Skin I Live In" (2011) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Pathe Distribution-UK. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers; behind the scenes featurette; photo gallery; and footage from the film's screening at the Somerset House. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Come and love me, I left my memories on the wall...

He (Antonio Banderas, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Desperado) is a brilliant plastic surgeon, possibly the best in the world. She (Elena Anaya, Hierro, Room in Rome) is a stunningly beautiful but fragile young woman madly in love with him.

After years of hard work, He has finally created the perfect synthetic skin - stronger and more durable than human skin, easier to repair. Now He is going to share his success with his colleagues and then spend the rest of his life loving She. It will be beautiful, it will be right, like He always wanted it to be.

She is relieved. She has witnessed his work and understood his fears and desire to succeed. When they first met, She did not know what motivated him to try so hard. There were times when She felt that He might give up, but He kept working, day after day, month after month, year after year. Sometimes She admired his determination, sometimes She feared it.

They have both come to realize that their relationship is special. It made them stronger and wiser, it opened their eyes to an entirely new world of possibilities, new sensations, new feelings. When they felt comfortable with each other, they made promises and kept them because they both believed in them.

However, an unexpected visit from a man dressed as a tiger has suddenly reminded He and She about the time they were both single. But there is nothing there that they want to talk about. They have no secrets from each other; they know exactly how they feel about their past lives; they know each other’s dreams.

Or do they?

Based on Thierry Jonquet’s popular novel "Tarantula", Pedro Almodovar’s La piel que habito a.k.a The Skin I Live In is the darkest and possibly the most controversial film the Spanish director has shot to date. It is intoxicatingly beautiful and elegant but seriously unsettling and occasionally even frightening.

The film is divided into large episodes, each highlighting important events from the lives of the two protagonists. In these episodes past and present often overlap, but the chronology of the events is never confusing.

The film builds slowly but suddenly switches gears in three different episodes. Each time its tone gets darker. Each time Almodovar also sneaks in a great message about morality and responsibility. It is difficult to discuss these messages without spoiling the film, but it is safe to say that two of them touch on two of the greatest dilemmas scientists are facing in the 21st century.

But the film also has a lighter side. Almodovar’s perverse sense of humor is easy to detect even during the most controversial sequences, though it is next to impossible to compare The Skin I Live In to Dark Habits or Matador. The Skin I Live In ends in a much darker and much more terrifying place where the humor effectively gets suffocated.

The acting is first-class. Banderas has not been this convincing in years, arguably since he appeared in Almodovar ‘s Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down. The elegant Anaya, undoubtedly one of the best Spanish actresses of her generation, is also wonderful as the plastic surgeon’s lover. Rising star Jan Cornet and Almodovar favorite Marisa Paredes are also deliver memorable performances.

Note: Earlier this year, The Skin I Live In was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Skin I Live In Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Pathe Distribution-UK.

Seeing Pedro Almodovar's films in high-definition is a special experience. They always look exceptionally vibrant and rich, boasting colors that are at times simply overwhelming. The Skin I Live In is not an exception - the film is incredibly elegant, overflowing with beautiful crisp but natural colors. Many of the indoor scenes from the first half of the film, for instance, look like contemporary pictures (see screencapture #3), while some of the panoramic shots have unique color reflections that would be perfect in a psychedelic dream (see screenshot #6). Detail and clarity are excellent, especially during close-ups. Contrast levels are also consistent. There are absolutely no traces of post production tinkering or serious transfer-specific anomalies either. Truly, there are only a handful of extremely small compression artifacts that keep this from being a perfect presentation of a perfect film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Skin I Live In Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Pathe Distribution-UK have provided imposed English subtitles for the main feature (they cannot be turned off).

The loseless audio track is optimized as best as possible. Naturally, even the smallest noises in the film are extremely easy to identify. Alberto Iglesias' haunting soundtrack has also benefited tremendously from the wide range of nuanced dynamics, though you should not expect the music to fill up your room; it is used mostly to enhance the unique atmospehere in the film and add color to it. The dialog is consistently crisp, stable, clean, and exceptionally easy to follow, and the English translation is excellent.

The Skin I Live In Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for The Skin I Live In. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Teaser Trailer - original teaser trailer for The Skin I Live In. Music only, with English text. (2 min, 1080p).

• Photo Gallery - a gallery of photographs from the shooting of the film courtesy of Jose Haro (El Deseo). Music only. (2 min, 1080/50i).

• Somerset House Premiere - footage from the film's screening at the Somerset House, with short comments by director Pedro Almodovar and actress Elena Anaya. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, PAL).

• Behind the Scenes Featurette - raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Spanish, with imposed English subtitles. (13 min, 1080/50i).

The Skin I Live In Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Very dark, very entertaining and very, very different, Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In is one of the year's best films. Do not read reviews and do not watch trailers, just see it. I guarantee you will have a terrific time with it. Pathe Distribution's presentation of the film is excellent, but I wish there were some good supplemental features on the Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.