The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito, 2:00, R) — other: drama, 3rd string, original

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar has a just reputation for taking women seriously in his films. His latest effort (as usual in Spanish with English subtitles) is no exception, even tho he gives most of the screen time to his most accomplished discovery and frequent star, Antonio Banderas (seemingly one of the few Hispanic actors whom Americans will tolerate in a lead role), playing the brilliant and innovative plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard. This is a deadly serious role, in marked contrast to Banderas's other current star turn as the voice of Puss in Boots.

The female lead, Elena Anaya, plays Vera Cruz (yes), Ledgard's stunningly gorgeous patient, experimental subject, apparent captive, and … well, here Almodóvar (who co-wrote the screenplay with brother Agustín) gets a bit coy. Is she a manikin, an Eliza Doolittle to Ledgard's Henry Higgins, a Sabina Spielrein to his Carl Jung, possibly a creature to his Frankenstein? Or maybe none of the above? We know only that she seems devoted to him, tho he is unresponsive to her charms.

Vera is confined to the big bedroom, elegantly furnished, where she does her yoga exercises dressed in a flesh-colored body stocking. Ledgard has the only key to the room, and he always keeps her locked in. He himself stays in the smaller bedroom next door, where he watches her intently on a wall-sized video screen. All her food and other needs are delivered from the kitchen via a dumbwaiter, and she communicates with only 2 people: Robert in person, and the housekeeper via intercom.

Ledgard is a widower, and we see in flashback that his wife Gal suffered a terrible car accident and fire, leaving her horribly disfigured even after Robert's virtuoso surgical work and devoted care. But even after all his efforts, Gal is unable to stand her pain, weakness, and ugliness, and she commits suicide. Unfortunately, it's right in front of their tweenage dotter Norma (Blanca Suárez), who is driven into hysterics and a nervous breakdown by the sight.

Ledgard, as one of the world's leading reconstructive surgeons, does not lack for cash, so he devotes the next several years to his twin obsessions, coaxing his dotter back from the precipice of madness and developing a graftable artificial skin, which he somewhat ghoulishly dubs Gal, a combination of human and pig genes that's highly resistant to burns, cuts, and punctures. Such an epidermis would have saved his beloved wife, he reasons, and this alone justifies his transgressing the ethical boundaries against transgenics. (This is the only science-fictional element in the film, and it's not much of a stretch from what modern medicine is actually capable of doing, which is why I categorize it as essentially a psychodrama.)

There are 3 other characters of note: Ledgard's housekeeper Marilia (Marisa Paredes), an older woman with secrets of her own; her wastrel son Zeca (Roberto Álamo), who pays an unwelcome visit; and studly young Vicente (Jan Cornet), son of and apprentice to the local dressmaker, who takes a shine to now-teenage Norma as she shyly tries to work her way back into normal society.

We learn most of the above during the first half hour, which leaves us wondering just what on Earth is going on here. The remainder of the film slowly pulls aside one curtain after another to fill us in. And that is all I will say on the subject. You'll have to see the rest for yourself.

And you should.

Nice Almodóvar film revolving around a a nutty doctor (Antonio Banderas) who creates a type of synthetic skin and attempts to remake the bruised body of beloved beings , then , he kidnaps people . Moody terror movie about a mad doctor , assisted by a maid (Marisa Paredes) , removes the structure of a gorgeous women and attempts to graft her skin onto her body . His guinea pig results to be a brave and rebel girl (Elena Anaya) , but this patient is very closely linked to dramatic deeds from past he would like to forget , then things go wrong .

Austerily wonderful mysterious film that contains intense drama , thrills , chills , and haunting poetic fantasy . In this enjoyable as well as eerie flick , Almodóvar established again his uniquely poetic and visually striking style , though imitating to classy "Eyes Without A Face" (1960) , the masterpiece directed by George Franju . This is a similar story but revisited by Pedro with his ordinary roles and situations , including rape , kink sex , strong love scenes and marvelous actresses . This splendid Spanish production is generally characterized by unforgettable images that owed a great deal to early cinema in general . Engaging and twisted script Pedro Almodóvar based on Thierry Jonquet's novel . Pedro worked on the script for almost a decade, and what initially was a retelling ended up being more of an inspired tale . The story is not massively strong , but it is not bad either , as Almodóvar strings a few o different threads together and that , along with tension and skin going on throughout tends to ensure the movie is always interesting and thrilling . The music by Oscar winner Alberto Iglesias , Almodovar's regular , is good in which it fits the style and feeling of the film . Luxurious and colorful cinematography by the prestigious José Luis Alcaine .The cast is also standout element of the film , as Pedro recasts Banderas in the character of unsettling doctor . Antonio Banderas is brilliant as a disturbing researcher/scientific/surgeon haunted by past tragedy who takes people removing their faces and attempts to graft them new skins . Support cast is frankly good , such as : Roberto Álamo , Eduard Fernández , Barbara Lennie , José Luis Gómez , Jan Cornet , Blanca Suárez , Susi Sánchez , Fernando Cayo . And brief appearance , as usual , by Agustin Almodóvar , Pedro's brother and film producer . .

This issue about a doctor who attempts to remake the bruised face of intimate people has been treated several times in the European cinema , such as : ¨Eyes without a face¨ (1960) by George Franju , ¨The windmill of the stone women¨ by Giorgo Ferroni . And especially by the prolific writer/producer/director Jesús Franco who shot : The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962) deemed to be the first movie of the ¨Spanish Fantaterror¨ and following a long series as El Secreto del Dr. Orloff (1964) aka "The Mistresses of Dr. Jekyll" - USA . It's gone on by " Orloff y el hombre invisible (1970) aka "Dr. Orloff's Invisible Monster" , ¨Ojos siniestros de Doctor Orloff¨(1973) . Furthermore , El enigma Del Ataúd (1969) aka "Only a Coffin" and El Siniestro doctor Orloff (1984) aka "The Sinister Dr. Orloff . Finally in ¨Faceless¨ or Depredadores de Noche¨(1987) .