Mysterious Skin

(2005)

Directed by

Gregg Araki

Review by Todd Plucknett

Filmmaker Gregg Araki’s 2005 film Mysterious Skin is an incredibly stark, yet hauntingly beautiful film about some incredibly tough subjects. He handles them with brutal honesty, yet amazingly draws the audience in and envelops it in hope and tenderness, creating one of the very best films of 2005.

The film tells two parallel stories. In the summer of 1981, Neil (Chase Ellison) and Brian (George Webster), both 8 years old, were on the same Little League team, Neil being the best player and Brian being the worst. They were not friends, but something happened that summer that kept them linked in each other’s minds for many years. Neil got abused by his coach (Bill Sage), getting forced and eventually addicted to doing grotesque sex acts. Brian was a sort of geeky child, who got constant nosebleeds and was convinced that he was once abducted and experimented on by aliens.

Ten years later, Neil grew up to become a hustler (now played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt). His lifelong companion Wendy (Michelle Trachtenberg) wants to leave their small Kansas town and move to New York. His best friend starts falling for him (Jeff Licon), directly against the advice of Wendy. As described by Wendy, “Where most people have a heart, Neil McCormick has a bottomless black hole.” He has almost no conscience, and he lives and works as a hustler because he seemingly enjoys it and thinks that is the only way he could survive and maybe subconsciously take indirect revenge on the man who made him this way. Neil becomes frustrated with his small town as well, so when Wendy leaves for New York, Neil is quick to follow.

Meanwhile, Brian (now Brady Corbet) is desperate to find the truth about that summer in ’81, isolating himself from almost everyone in the process. He seeks out a girl on television who also claimed to have been abducted, trying to find some solace and reason in his life. For some reason, when thinking back on the visions he has of that summer, he pictures Neil, though he does not know who he is or why he keeps imagining him. It seems like a dream to him. What unfolds is one of the most surprising, dark, and thought-provoking conclusions to any movie I have seen this decade.

What makes the movie so remarkable and haunting is the fact that it is completely unflinching. While it does not show anything too graphic, it is still deeply disturbing. The way in which the coach seduces Neil is difficult to watch, and it creates little sympathy for either character. The way in which Araki portrays these scenes is even more unsettling because Neil begins to enjoy it. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, yet he continued to meet him without protest and let these deeds roll over into other areas of his life.

The screenplay by Araki, based on the novel by Scott Heim, is superb in its honesty and bleakness. It has so many remarkably developed characters, and each of them has qualities that one can relate to. It is photographed with exquisite tastefulness by Steve Gainer. The score is appropriate, and the film is edited in a way that never loses the audience’s attention for even a moment. From the very first opening shot, with Fruit Loops being poured over young Neil’s head, the audience is glued to the screen.

The film would not be what it is without the spellbinding performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He handles every emotion that Neil feels with remarkable subtlety and control. It is a performance for the ages. Michelle Trachtenberg is also very good in this, a much different role than we have come to expect from her. Brady Corbet is brilliant in his part, rising above what could have been a poorly developed character. Jeff Licon adds great support and realism to his role. Bill Sage, who bears a striking resemblance to a young Robert Redford, gives a superbly disturbing performance that will undoubtedly bring to mind other movie pedophiles, such as Aaron Eckhart in Towelhead. In addition, it is always a pleasure to see Elisabeth Shue on screen. She steals a couple scenes playing Neil’s hardworking mother. Lisa Long also is very solid as Brian’s mother who is always trying to get him to forget about the aliens and move on.

This movie is one that will certainly stick with the audience. Everything about the film is touched with a superb sense of clarity and ease. The characters are outstanding, and it is almost impossible to not be moved in some way at the film’s revealing conclusion. I applaud Araki for making this film the way he did. It could have turned into either a depressing venture or an unappealing mess. A gloomy feel is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is the conventional way to make a film about hustlers (such as Sonny and Midnight Cowboy). This film actually reminded me a great deal of the underrated 2004 film A Home at the End of the World. It dealt with similar subjects, had equally well-developed characters, and was told with the same type of narrative style. When dealing with subject matter as dark as this, there are always inherent risks that come along with it. This film overcomes those potential potholes and creates a haunting film that is irresistible and flowing with hope and meaning.

Rating:  

# 3 of 2005