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 annibalism is a popular theme in lowbrow
exploitation cinema, exemplified by films such as "Cannibal
Holocaust" and "The
Untold Story", though the subject rarely rears its ugly head in
more artistically and critically acceptable fare. The French film "In
My Skin" is an odd beast in that whilst it is a decidedly art-house
production, it gives the theme a bloody, existential twist, combining it
with that of self harm, and coming up with the unique concept of auto
cannibalism, the act of eating oneself. Obviously, this takes the
proceedings into some fairly surreal, unpleasant territory, though director
Marina de Van opts for the same clinical approach as Cronenberg's early
films of 'body horror', and though she includes some nauseating scenes, she
eschews providing any explanations for the behaviour of her main character
or indeed suggesting any kind of deeper meaning.
Unfortunately that last statement
proves to be both the film's strength and weakness, as whilst it keeps
things free of cheap pop psychology, at the same time it never lets the
viewer generate any kind of sympathy or connection with the characters,
instead feeling like a detached observer. The end result is that whilst the
film is quite shocking in places, and is generally interesting, though
obviously in a morbid kind of way, it's plainly open ended nature tends to
be somewhat frustrating, being not so much open to interpretation as
annoyingly obtuse.
The film is centred upon Esther (played by the
writer/director), a young, ambitious marketing executive. One night at a
party, feeling somewhat isolated from the proceedings, she wanders
outside, falls, and gashes open her leg on a piece of metal. Esther
doesn't notice, or even feels, the nasty wound until a friend later
notices her blood soaked clothes. Although she visits a doctor and gets
the injury dressed, she finds herself increasingly fascinated with it, a
feeling which gradually grows into obsession.
Esther's obsession with the wound develops through a
simple addiction to looking at it, through picking at it, to excavating it
further, and before long, Esther progresses to making similar cuts in
other parts of her body. This obsession starts to effect other areas of
her life, making her feel increasingly disconnected from work and her
confused boyfriend (Laurent Lucas, from the excellent "Harry, He's
Here to Help") who cannot understand her unshakable desire to
mutilate herself.
Director De Van is a long time collaborator of left
field French filmmaker Francois Ozon, having written his "8
Femmes" and starred in "Sitcom" amongst others. Like Ozon,
De Van's direction is both unsettling and fascinating, and here she shows
the same talent for imbuing everyday domestic life with meaning, and in
skillfully adding surrealist touches without taking the film too far into
the realm of the fantastic. This approach works well with "In My
Skin", and De Van manages to keep the film grounded, despite dealing
with such an odd subject and including many strange, disturbing scenes.
De Van deliberately keeps a distance from Esther, and
never gives any motivation for her self-mutilation, avoiding the obvious
routes of psychological or sexual trauma. We actually learn very little
about Esther beyond her odd addiction, and are shown no real angst or even
problems in her life that could have cost it. If anything, she seems to be
driven by a sense of self-discovery, or perhaps even a growing feeling of
being in control of her own flesh. Either way, De Van gives the viewer
full reign in deciphering Esther's actions, a decision which may be
liberating and stimulating to some, but annoying to others. This is
especially true of the film's climax, which is predictably vague, and
lacking in any kind of catharsis.
This really is the root of the film's problems, as
such an apparently uncaring approach from the director tends to facilitate
a similar viewer reaction. Without allowing the viewer to feel any kind of
connection to the character of Esther, and with her having no obvious
symbolic value, the film seems to be relying solely on its aesthetics, and
as such it becomes almost like a bloody freak show. Although it does move
along quite nicely, and the viewer is rarely bored, this does seem like a
missed opportunity to provide a deeper exploration into the potentially
harrowing area of self-harm.
De Van's direction is similarly clinical, and she
avoids any technical trickery or narrative devices, and simply allows the
story to unfold, telling the tale in a simple, graphic fashion that
focuses unflinchingly on the character's deterioration. This of course
means that there is a lot of gore in the film, with some truly wince
inducing scenes, and many viewers may find themselves looking away as
Esther digs further and further into her flesh.
The film's visceral nature actually works on another
level, as a fair amount of tension is generated as the viewer waits with a
mixture of curiosity and dread to see just how far Esther will go in her
strange journey. The problem with this is that it is likely to make the
film quite unsuitable for most of the art-house crowd, though its abstract
nature is equally likely to frustrate gore hounds.
As such, "In My Skin" earns a hesitant
recommendation as an engrossing and unique, if ultimately cold and
unrewarding curiosity of a film. Though it does interest through its
detached portrayal of a strangely troubled young woman, and certainly
shocks through some nauseatingly graphic and surreal scenes of self harm,
it is a film without any emotional heart, and which is unlikely to evoke
any strong feelings in the viewer other than a sort of fascinated
revulsion.
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