The Skin I Live In

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SabrinaTVBand
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The Skin I Live In

Post by SabrinaTVBand »

I just watched The Skin I Live In for the first time, after buying the Blu-Ray something like five years ago [my turn-around on watching things is very slow lmao]. It's kind of impossible to talk about this film without giving away a major twist, and so this is a MASSIVE spoiler warning. Also, major content warning for two very graphic and long rape scenes.

Do not read if you want to see the movie without knowing all of the twists!

Ok, The Skin I Live In is basically "What if late-period David Cronenberg directed a forced feminization film". Except it was directed by Pedro Almodovar, himself a very talented director [but it's not nearly as flamboyant as many of his other films]. The film is about a plastic surgeon who gets revenge on a guy who rapes his daughter by turning him into a replica of his dead wife. This even includes a scene where the surgeon [played by Antonio Banderas] shows the guy how to use a dilator after giving him a vaginoplasty. The surgeon also gives her a new name, Vera.

The film is very horny. It's probably not as hot as the best forced feminization erotica you've ever read, but it's pretty close to the most you'll see out of a big budget film for a very long time. I personally found the scene towards the end where Vera defends Banderas from the other surgeon very hot. Of course, there's a reversal immediately after that, but during that brief moment where you think she's fully aware of her past and has completely accepted her new life . . . wow, it's surprisingly effective.

Early in the film we meet a hot lesbian character named Cristina, and I chuckled to myself thinking "wow, what if she ends up dating Vera at the end of the movie" and I WAS SURPRISED HOW CLOSE MY HORNY PREDICTION WAS! They don't officially end up together in the narrative, but the door is very open.

Anyways, forced feminization stuff aside, the film is still very good. The gradual buildup and revealing of information to the viewer is amazing, there are many suspenseful moments in the film, and even aside from the big feminization reveal there are still a lot of uncertainties that will keep you guessing as you watch the movie.

I highly recommend seeing this one.
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BoringKate
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Post by BoringKate »

I really need to watch that some day. It seems extremely suited for me. I just keep getting squeaked out by the blood and surgical stuff.
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SabrinaTVBand
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Post by SabrinaTVBand »

BoringKate wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:19 pm I really need to watch that some day. It seems extremely suited for me. I just keep getting squeaked out by the blood and surgical stuff.
I don't know your exact limits for blood and surgical stuff, but I would say it's on par, or maybe a little less intense than Crash. There's never a gratuitous non-realistic amount of blood in any of the scenes [but there is still blood].
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McGraw
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Post by McGraw »

It's an extremely good film and I would recommend watching it if you can get past the blood and surgical stuff. I don't think it's Almodóvar's best film, but it is up there.

I would agree it seems very suited to your tastes based on what you recommend/talk about.

Also Sabrina if you liked the gradual buildup and revealing of information, I sort of recommend Bad Education (2004)? It's a trans and gay Hitchcock inspired drama he made about a filmmaker reuniting with a childhood friend and the abuse they suffered living in a catholic boarding school during fascist Spain. Obviously content warnings for that, and I actually think it's one of his worst films (which personally I think is a high bar, almost all of his films are fantastic), but I appreciate it structurally and think it's well made.
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SabrinaTVBand
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Post by SabrinaTVBand »

McGraw wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:35 pm Also Sabrina if you liked the gradual buildup and revealing of information, I sort of recommend Bad Education (2004)? It's a trans and gay Hitchcock inspired drama
Oh wow, I thought his only other trans film was All About My Mother; I'll definitely have to give Bad Education a look at some point. Thanks for the tip!
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McGraw
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Post by McGraw »

Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom and Labyrinth of Passion both have queer underground club and drag elements, but to my memory are not trans.

Trailer for Lovers of the Prohibited (a 17 minute jukebox musical he made to promote What Have I Done to Deserve This?, the best quality version I've found is in the mega folder I linked in the trans movie thread) has Bibiana Fernández in a major role, and she has a small cameo in Matador (which is excellent, but otherwise not trans). She also has a fun small role in the sort of meh High Heels, which has some neat ideas and a great Marisa Paredes performance, but is just...not great. The film also has a female impersonator as a major character. Bibiana is also in Kika, which is absolutely by far Almodóvar's worst film and I would not recommend it.

Law of Desire has a trans character, and also features Bibiana Fernández in a small role.

All About My Mother is trans as you mentioned, but for anyone else I just really recommend this movie. I love it so much and it is probably the most I have ever cried during a film.

As I mentioned earlier, Bad Education is trans (but to my knowledge uses entirely cis male actors, if that's an issue for anyone).

I'm So Excited! maybe has a very brief trans character? It's one throwaway line and not a notable part of the movie at all though, and I would have to rewatch to confirm.

And finally Parallel Mothers has a trans actress (Daniela Santiago from Veneno) in a small one scene role.
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Post by ellie »

ohshit, i've literally never seen anybody talking about 'the skin i live in'. i loved that movie as a teen!~
(probably in part because i was a horny egg but still, lmao)
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