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Mysterious Skin (Unrated)





Release Date: May 6th (NYC-Film Forum) by TLA Releasing
The Cast:Joseph Gordon-Levitt,Brady Corbet,Elisabeth Shue,Jeffrey Licon,Michelle Trachtenberg

BASIC PREMISE: A teenager (Gordon-Levitt) with a troubled past meets another troubled teenager (Corbet) who believes in alien abductions.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: What also makes this film so enjoyable is how original and refreshing the plot feels. Although it does have a NC-17 rating, there isn't excessive nudity or violence, except one rape scene which can make anyone cringe. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance is the best of his career by far. He shows a wonderfully broad range of emotion very skillfully. The other young actors, such as Brady Corbet, are also quite good. Michelle Trachtenberg, fresh from Disney's Ice Princess, shows a different, more mature side of herself--more than she did in Eurotrip. The lush cinematography is also very exceptionally good. The musical score also adds another layer to this beautiful work of art.

SPIRITUAL VALUE: The emotional journey that the two troubled teenagers go through is very heartbreaking and moving. The way that they realize the truth about what happened when they were very young is very subtle and beautifully told--without feeling too contrived. Occasionally, there are depressing scenes, but the wonderful acting shows a level of complexity that is very rare in films these days.

INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: None.

NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 0

THE BOTTOM LINE: A complex, disturbing, and beautifully-shot film with a very strong performance by its lead actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A disturbing gem, but still a gem worth seeking out.

RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: Movie Theater (1st Run)


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