7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Jan Cornet, Roberto ÁlamoDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 79% |
Horror | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Our face identifies us.
If The Skin I Live In wasn't so elegantly made, it might be mistaken for something far more grotesque, distant from the mainstream, and
lacking in taste. But that's not the case. The latest film from acclaimed Director Pedro Almodóvar is a genius piece of filmmaking about righting
wrongs: righting the wrongs of nature, of man, and of chance. It's a film where great intelligence and high science are used for both good and evil, not
in a broad context necessarily but at the skilled hands of one man. The movie is intriguing and repulsive, beautiful and nasty. It's easy to admire
but sometimes very difficult to watch. It's made with a hand as careful and exacting as that of the lead character, but it goes in many different
directions before ultimately coming back full circle. It's a unique take on old tales, but diving in too deeply would spoil the surprises. The Skin I
Live In is best watched with an open mind and as little information about it as possible. It will delight and shock, please and disgust, and it's
certainly not for younger or immature audiences. Proceed with caution, but by all means, proceed.
Let's see what we have here...
The Skin I Live In sews together another stellar 1080p Blu-ray transfer from Sony. The movie yields an ever-wondrous film-like texture, accentuated by a fine layer of grain, impeccable clarity, flawless detailing, and precise coloring. Viewers -- even those with thousands of titles under their belts -- will marvel at the picture-perfect detailing that's almost always evident. Skin textures are remarkable, whether real, artificial, altered, rough, soft, or burned. Fine detail in clothes -- sweaters, surgical garb, even the texture of a surgical mask -- are incessantly impressive. Brick façades, slick scientific instruments, even the texture of styrofoam packaging are displayed with immaculate, tactile texturing. The image also boasts strong natural depth. Colors are wonderfully balanced. The palette isn't gaudy or vibrant, but neither is it dull. Every little shade is naturally presented, even when the image appears inherently cold or dark. Skin-colored body suits, blue cups, orange juice, purple sweaters, and red blood all appear with stunning natural shading. Flesh tones are precise, and black levels are impressively deep and true. The image is absolutely free of any banding, blocking, or other unwanted anomalies. This is beautiful film-like perfection, another real visual treat from Sony.
The Skin I Live In won't stretch any sound system to its limit, but pinpoint clarity is the name of the game in those sorts of soundtracks and this DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless presentation has it mastered. Music plays smoothly and with fine spacing, clarity, and surround support, the later of which sounds a touch too dominant in an early scene but is otherwise nicely balanced. Whether light score or a party sequence in chapter seven, the movie's musical elements are presented with equal attention to detail. The track also enjoys fine light ambiance, whether at a gathering of medical professionals or outside when crickets lightly fill up the stage. Dialogue is steady and accurate, playing always from the center channel but lightly reverberating when necessary, such as during a medical conference early in the film. Indeed, this track won't be one that's used for demonstration purposes, but Sony's lossless presentation handles the movie's rather limited sonic elements with crisp, satisfying ease.
The Skin I Live In doesn't feature many extras, but the lengthy interview is excellent.
The Skin I Live In is a rare film that's thematically disgusting but visually beautiful, the latter dominating the former and lessening the burden but in no way cheapening the story. If anything, the way Director Pedro Almodóvar has shaped the movie enhances the grotesqueness of the story line without repulsing his audience. It's emotionally disturbing but impossible to see as anything but a wonderful and beautiful film. It wouldn't be right to call the movie "Horror" considering the modern interpretation of that genre, but this represents true horror in the very classic Mary Shelley style. The movie is impeccably assembled and perfectly acted; it's too emotionally disturbing and visually challenging and mature for younger audiences, but The Skin I Live In is one of 2011's must-see pictures for those with the patience to see it play out and the constitution to absorb all it has to offer. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Skin I Live In features extras short in number but high in quality. The video and audio qualities are incredible, as expected. Highly recommended.
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