An alien sent to Earth, Laura (as she is credited) (Scarlett Johansson) is dropped off in Scotland and disguised in a stranger’s body for a mission that’s not immediately clear. A model of physical perfection, her eyes are dead. As she explores the streets of Scotland, Woman engages in slow conversations she really doesn’t understand. This Woman character is a kind of clinical twist on the innocence and hunger for life Johansson exhibited in Spike Jonze’s Her.
Traveling around in a van, Laura is given the job of seduction; enticing men into her vehicle with subtle flirtations. Unable to resist her charms, these men believe they’ve hit the jackpot. Apparently, several of these scenes were filmed in secret by Glazer, using non-actors who rumor has it, had no idea they were flirting with Johansson. As a result, the conversations seem natural. These guys really think they’re getting somewhere with this beautiful girl, and in a sense, they are. Laura’s ‘home’ is a dark abyss. There, she slowly disrobes while leading her prey deeper into the room. Eventually, they slowly sink into a murky pool and meet a terrible end. The image of what happens to these men under that water won’t soon leave your memory.
Don’t expect to find out what it all means. Grazer leaves it up to the viewer to draw his own conclusions. For some that kind of open-ended narrative is a non-starter, and if that wasn’t frustrating enough, there really isn’t a lot of dialogue and much of it is in a thick Scottish brogue that’s barely decipherable. Thankfully, Scarlett Johansson’s performance turns the film into an interesting experience. Laura is not an easy role; she has a childlike innocence, but possesses deadly sexuality. As time goes on, Laura even develops a sense of curiosity about her surroundings.
While Johansson’s performance is proves once again that she’s more than a pretty face, Under the Skin leaves too many questions unanswered to be satisfying. At the same time, and perhaps appropriately, the film gets under your skin, leaving you befuddled.
Under the Skin is presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Overall, the DVD presentation is a decent one. Sharpness is a bit unstable throughout. Close-ups look good, but wider ones have a noticeable lack of definition. There are no print issues to mention. Colors are a bit lackluster. Yellows, blues and greens look somewhat gaudy and thick, but it doesn’t affect the overall viewing experience.
The Dolby Digital Audio track is fairly immersive for a standard DVD presentation. Scenes on streets or in clubs make you feel as if you are right there. Dialogue is clear throughout, and effects sound accurate.
English and Spanish subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- Featurettes (42:23) offer ten brief pieces that offer a look behind-the scenes. Comments from co-writer/director Jonathan Glazer, Editor Paul Watts, visual effects supervisor Dominic Parker and co-writer/executive producer Walter Campbell, among others are included. There are a few interesting tidbits, but overall, this is pretty formulaic stuff. The featurettes include:
- Camera
- Casting
- Editing
- Locations
- Music
- Poster Design
- Production Design
- Script
- Sound
- VFX
- UV Digital Copy
