Mysterious Skin (2005)

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

disturbing. complex. realistic. like the book. a film about the manner to assume the past. to define the life. to impose the measure under pressure. to survive to the shadows to becomes parts of present. its gift - a wise script, great acting. and the art to capture the nuances of a sensitive age, the violence of image as expression of profound honesty about a taboo. one of films who explores the universe of its public. fragments of memories, impressions, stories. and the feeling of a strange, splendid trip. a remarkable film about the truth as basis for become yourself. not comfortable. maybe fascinating because Joseph Gordon Levitt does a great job. a bitter experience. and its exorcism. and the cold air of freedom.

Sensitive and unflinching, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt is on early peak-form as a victim of the advances of a paedophile and later on becomes a prostitute. Brady Corbet plays a UFO enthusiast and paranoid youngster, also a former victim to the same sex offender. This indie adaptation of Scott Heim's hard-hitting novel is quite brilliant in its approach to tender issues, however the film does fall short at times as the tone is often inconsistent and the film appears plot less at times. It annoys me how this film is often categorised as an LGBT film, when its really not.. It draws no attention to any LGBT issues, except a brief reference to the AIDS virus but apart from that its a film about child-molestation and the affects it can have on a fragile child.

My friends and I had the idea of watching this film, due to the promising summary that has been written here, on IMDb. However, I will confess right away that "Mysterious Skin" has NOTHING to do with alien abduction or any mystery. In fact, from the get go we're aware that every kid around has been raped by the coach, and in a matter of 30 minutes, we already knew that Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character was a pervert. The story is, in my humble opinion, a big mess that leads NOWHERE. Also, there is no likable character for the spectator feel identified with, reason why my friends and I just wanted them all to die, especially of an uncured sexual disease. The ONLY thing that may be respectful in this project is the acting from Gordon-Levitt (who'd thought it!) and Brady Corbet, whose performances are what bring some occasional life to this picture. Everything else feels slow, boring, uninteresting and... implausible. There's simply no police, no D.A Office and no judiciary in this whole mess. In conclusion, I just feel like knowing why on earth this movie has such a high rating, and that would make me get calmer after watching this.

Admittedly, the source material could offend many people who went unaware, just like me, into this film. I really had no idea what the film was about other than it looked somehow appealing and I'd already watched two Hollywood-fodder-ish films earlier during the day and wanted something perhaps off the beaten track.The subject material is, of course, somewhat disturbing, but after about 40 minutes I chuckled to myself (in that knowing way) because I was really enjoying the film. The pleasure you feel when you have found a little gem that isn't trying to pander to anyone, but has something to say and is just going to say it anyway.As for the people who were offended by the subject material. You can't really address topics like homosexuality or paedophilia without delving into imagery that might offend. I didn't feel, however, that the film attempted to glamorise or encourage such practices. I saw a lot of young people who were having a hard time of it, who were looking for answers, wanted to know why they were so f**ked up about the past, and eventually found out why. Not through fault of their own but because of their upbringing - the absent father, divorced mother or paedophile coach at school that took advantage of little boys.The Director approached things in a light-hearted, free-spirited sort of way that I really enjoyed. Perhaps this was done in an overly frivolous way that offended some people? Perhaps the synopsis about aliens and abductions is misleading, I agree with that, but rotten things do happen to kids and the Director's interpretation of this through kids blocking out the bad memories by supplanting them with something more fantastical, was very clever. Some of the scenes were disgusting, yes, but also very true, funny, shocking and entertaining.Gregg Araki approached it wonderfully and I was really pleased with this film. It reminded me of 'Trainspotting', and in no small part of 'Lilya 4-Ever', which was equally shocking and entertaining, but didn't set out to offend, but to enlighten people who are broad-minded and experienced enough to appreciate gritty film-making.