La piel que habito (2011)

Directed by: Pedro Almodovar | 120 minutes | drama | Actors: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Blanca Suárez, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes, Bárbara Lennie, Fernando Cayo, Roberto Álamo, Buika, Eduard Fernández, Agustín Almodóvar, José Luis Gómez, Susi Sánchez, Isabel Blanco, Ana Mena

It takes some getting used to: Antonio Banderas in an arthouse film. After two decades of Hollywood films in widely varying quality and in the same month as the premiere of the ‘Shrek’ spin-off ‘Puss in Boots’, in which he plays the lead role as a voice actor, he returns in ‘La piel que habito’. back to European quality film. This is not entirely new: in a distant past he often worked together with director Pedro Almodóvar, in ‘Matador’ and ‘Átame!’.

Banderas must have experienced the script of ‘La piel’, based on the novel ‘Mygale’ by Thierry Jonquet, which he came across as a breath of fresh air. Either way, he’s described it as “completely idiotic” in interviews. Not without reason: the film has become a mind-boggling, fascinating thriller with some sci-fi touches. As befits a good thriller, to know less is to enjoy more, so this review is limited to a very schematic explanation of the film set-up. ‘La piel que habito’ is about Robert Ledgard (Banderas), a prominent surgeon who keeps a young woman hidden and captive in his large mansion, Vera (Elena Anaya). It soon becomes clear that she is the subject of his scientific experiments, but how exactly is the fork for only painfully slowly revealed. And what does Ledgard’s traumatic family history have to do with this?

Since the 1970s, Almodóvar has built up an impressive body of work with often sinister dramas, filled with strange characters with disturbing motives. However, little has prepared us for this latest film, an exciting, lurid tour de force that threatens to fly out of the corner more than once but just stays inboard. It is a sign of Almodóvar’s virtuosity that he was able to get rid of so many bizarre turns and sidesteps in the film without letting the viewer drop out. ‘La piel que habito’ can be compared with few contemporary films; not with the average understated, neo-realistic arthouse work, and certainly not with the average Hollywood thriller. The film is especially reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic ‘Vertigo’.

The film is hyper-stylized, which can give the whole thing a somewhat kitschy look. In addition, not two seconds pass before a patch of music score is pasted underneath. Somehow, however, this absurd attention to detail fits the tone of the film, which is dominated by the manic-perfectionist Ledgard; the chaotic soundtrack ultimately adds to the overall state of confusion and unrest that the film provokes. The best part is how those details give the film depth: the film is full of symbolism, the coherence of which you only see during the after-drinks due to the speed of the film. The great acting of Banderas in particular, who visibly enjoys his lead role, is also worth mentioning. The only downside is that after all this bizarre splendor, the film’s apotheosis seems almost straightforward. You almost wish the curious story would never come to an end.

It is not easy to give ‘La piel que habito’ the attention it deserves in a review, without destroying the developments in the film for the reader and viewer. It can be said without a doubt that the latest Almodóvar has become a fascinating film. It has become such an uncommon film, in which sex and violence compete for priority, that it will seriously polarize opinions. However, those who are not deterred by such elements will be presented with a very impressive spectacle.