I'm going to keep this review short. There's really not much I can say without spoiling the film or risking doing so.

What I'll say is this. Looking for a thriller loaded with twists, turns and high suspense? Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In takes the 2011 cake. It earns its indie stripes with its style and risque subject matter but without excessive dialogue or ever getting too slow. The plot is super intricate and thematically loaded, the twists are nuts, the twist is Oldboy caliber, Antonio Banderas is menacing instead of miscast and the cinematography is as spectacular as any other film that's come out this year (Drive and Tree of Life included).

This is the token "bizarre/disturbing/controversial" film of 2011. It fits the bill nicely yet comes from a most unlikely candidate.

Almodovar fans will not be disappointed. It's an Almodovar film, through and through, its departures notwithstanding. The rest will have nothing to be disappointed about. This is a flat out intense film.

Currently my #2 film this year (after Drive).

Black Swan, it ain't. But...
This is still a succulent offering from Almodovar.
I like him as much as most folks flock to von Trier.

The way Almodovar portrays women fascinates me. I love his women!
Their mannerisms and vitality always keep me watching.

This effort veered a little too close to "Dogtooth" for my liking.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1379182/
But this is a tasty narrative executed with passion in every frame.

This effort borders on melodrama a lot, and mostly pulls it off.
I do wonder if an A-List female lead would have improved the film.
Or would have a Penelope Cruz been too recognizable in the role?

E.D.

Hey Brett. Glad you liked it. I was particularly disappointed that no one here took interest in this film. I thought it was amazing. I'd rather not compare it to Black Swan and just say "apples and oranges." That's not quite the truth but I loved both films so much, I'd rather not have to say which I thought was better.

Would you care to elaborate on the "Dogtooth" comparison though? I've seen both films and I have to say I'd never think to connect the two.

Quoted from James McClung Hey Brett. Glad you liked it. I was particularly disappointed that no one here took interest in this film. I thought it was amazing. I'd rather not compare it to Black Swan and just say "apples and oranges." That's not quite the truth but I loved both films so much, I'd rather not have to say which I thought was better. Would you care to elaborate on the "Dogtooth" comparison though? I've seen both films and I have to say I'd never think to connect the two.

I agree both films are well worth revisiting.
But I did feel that the former was more of a complete experience for me.

As to the comparison, I made the link via "world building".
In both stories, the lead male figure is distorting the world to their "wards".
One due to a tragedy, the other to control his family.
I found Dogtooth even more intriguing as to how I got caught up in that world.
I was "lost" as the Dogtooth kids were, like a child alone in a mall Christmas week.

E.D.

Quoted from Electric Dreamer I agree both films are well worth revisiting. But I did feel that the former was more of a complete experience for me.

I'd like to know what you mean by that as well. Is it that Black Swan wrapped everything up in the end? That's not a speculation. I ask because one of the things I loved about The Skin I Live In was that there's multiple ways to look at pretty much everything that happens in the film and multiple conclusions you can arrive at. And what with how interwoven everything is, you're almost never running out of things to consider. Nothing's wrapped up in that sense. Everything's open-ended.

Black Swan was much more Hollywood that way. It had a very cut and dry character and story arc. In that sense, I think Black Swan could be considered a more "complete" film.

As for Dogtooth, I can understand that interpretation. That said, it was my least favorite out of the three films. I liked it and think it was among the best films that came out its year. But despite its von Trier-esque snarkiness, it was a very somber film and while I love depressing films (honestly, I really do), this one just didn't hold a candle to the exuberance the other directors brought to their respective films.

Again though, apples and oranges, not to mention the ending of Dogtooth was absolute genius.

Quoted from James McClung I'd like to know what you mean by that as well. Is it that Black Swan wrapped everything up in the end? That's not a speculation. I ask because one of the things I loved about The Skin I Live In was that there's multiple ways to look at pretty much everything that happens in the film and multiple conclusions you can arrive at. And what with how interwoven everything is, you're almost never running out of things to consider. Nothing's wrapped up in that sense. Everything's open-ended. Black Swan was much more Hollywood that way. It had a very cut and dry character and story arc. In that sense, I think Black Swan could be considered a more "complete" film. As for Dogtooth, I can understand that interpretation. That said, it was my least favorite out of the three films. I liked it and think it was among the best films that came out its year. But despite its von Trier-esque snarkiness, it was a very somber film and while I love depressing films (honestly, I really do), this one just didn't hold a candle to the exuberance the other directors brought to their respective films.

I felt that Black Swan had a more attractive trajectory for the story arc.
I like how the pieces moved across the chess board.
I loved how music and the arts played a compelling back drop.

Almodovar has created a diabolically fun mystery to ponder.
But there's something sexy to me about the laser focus feel of Aronofsky's film.

Not to mention the concept of the identity obfuscation has been done before.
Granted, not nearly this well, but "Shattered" covers similar territory.
But only in a superficial murder mystery kind of way. But still, it's there.

As to Dogtooth, its that fearlessness of the world that drew me in.
The visceral exploration of the kids, all of it grabbed me and didn't let go.
Even when I wanted to look away, I couldn't.

That to me, along with a KILLER ending, sealed the deal.

This is a fine trio of films, I hope I never have to pick between them!

Regards,
E.D.

Yo!  Just wanted to bump this thread having finally seen Almodovar's thriller.  An ingenious, twist-filled, unique thriller with enough to keep you thinking for weeks, and just an all-around great experience.  Gorgeous to look at, deeply unsettling, and very, very intense.