I can see why many people didn't like THE SKIN I LIVE IN, and I'm glad that they didn't like it, because it shows how far Pedro Almódovar had to go to make a masterpiece. Many of his films are very good, but I don't love all of them, or, really, any of them. They tend to stick to the same, safe storyline that Almódovar is used to, and there's enough transvestites for all of the cinema. But, with THE SKIN I LIVE IN, Almódovar builds suspense like Hitchcock, designing quiet, creepy arenas for his characters to exist in. Basically, the film is about the escape of Vera (Elena Anaya) from a plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas). Ledgard exists within a lush, gated house where he conducts experiments on Vera, but Almódovar uncovers bits of the story like peeling skin back. The way he does this is brilliant, and THE SKIN I LIVE IN is actually his most accomplished work in every possible way. It's cleanly balanced, features astonishing colorful visuals that are his trademark, and Banderas and Anaya are brilliant in their roles. But THE SKIN I LIVE IN raises the stakes on every level, creating compartmentalized worlds for every action of every character.
★★★★★ out of Five
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