Monday, March 7, 2016

UNDER THE SKIN (2014)

FILMS FROM THE 21st CENTURY
(Post 43 of 50)

Some quick takes on the most relatively recent listings from the
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list

Scarlett Johansson as the mysterious alien in Under the Skin

Last year, I attended the Dragoncon convention in Atlanta where I sat in on a panel with Gary Lockwood and Keir Dullea from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Someone asked them if they thought there were any recent Science Fiction films that could compare with 2001. Lockwood flat out said no. Dullea agreed with him for the most part, but did express to really liking Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin.

Under the Skin is the story of an alien that comes to Scotland and seduces men for nefarious purposes. But what are those purposes? What is her motivation? What the hell is going on here? This slow moving film reminds me of another film that takes it time and asks more questions than it answers. And that would be...2001: A Space Odyssey! No wonder Keir Dullea liked it! And I liked it to. Despite a few moments when I scratched my head, the points to ponder in this movie really stuck with me. Not that I came up with as many answers as I would have liked, but sometimes just having the questions is enough.

Lockwood and Dullea in 2001: A Space Odyssey


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