Second Skin

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Skin</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="495"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="495" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Second Skin (Segunda Piel)</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Wingdings 2" ><B>êêê</B></FONT><B> (Not Rated)</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By Brenda Sexton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> A double life</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Alberto:  Jordi Molla'</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Elena:  Ariadna Gil</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Diego:  Javier Bardem</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director:  Gerard Vera</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>:  A man is torn between two lovers-his wife and his secret boyfriend.  His internal conflict and his duplicitous double-life are tearing him apart, while his deceit and lack of commitment eats away at both of his loving partners. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:  </B>The opening credits are displayed on a backdrop of black and white images that are splitting, mirroring each other, reminiscent of a Rorschach test, set to dramatic heart wrenching music.  This opening sequence sets a foreboding, intricate tone that reflects the complicated, emotional story to follow.  It's a work of art that, alone, is worth experiencing. </div> <bR> <div> Elena (Ariadna Gil) calls her husband from her unglamorous printmaking workshop.  She can't locate him, which troubles her.  Annoyed, she leaves work to pick up their son and her husband's dry cleaning.  Along with his clean suit, she is given a little plastic bag of papers that the cleaners found in Alberto's (her husband's) suit pocket.  Back at home, and somewhat suspicious, Elena examines the receipts and finds what she may have been looking for, proof of a cheating husband, a receipt for a local hotel.  </div> <bR> <div> When her husband (Jordi Molla') comes home, instead of confronting him, she takes a more delicate route and plans her moment.  She loves her husband and wants to solve their problem not compound it.  After dinner the two go to a music club and it is there she tries to address their problem. She tells him she is concerned about herself.  She has not had sex in so long that she no longer craves it, and she is worried that there may be something wrong with her.  She asks him if she should see a shrink and he says that is her decision.  She suggests they may both want to see one-he acts hostile and offended and tells her that if she has a problem, she should deal with it.  Her backdoor approach has gotten her nowhere.</div> <bR> <div> The next evening, she packs off their little boy for a sleepover and attempts to seduce her husband.  She is sporting a new negligee and in a subtle form of rejection, he gets distracted by the price tag still attached to the back of her sexy slip, breaking the intimate mood.   From this subtle move of his, she snaps, knowing he is not interested in having sex with her.  She now confronts him head on with what she knows.  He claims he has had a one-time encounter with another woman and it meant nothing to him; it's over.  Elena loves him and wants to believe him, but her trust in him is wrecked.</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, Alberto had promised his lover, a doctor named Diego (Javier Bardem), that he would join him at a medical convention starting the next day.  With a highly suspicious wife, there is now no way he can disappear for a few days.  But he has disappeared from Diego; he doesn't call him to give him the disappointing news, nor will he answer any of Diego's calls or voice mails to his cell phone.  Diego is crushed and obsessed; maddeningly frustrated in that he doesn't </div> <bR> <div> even know where Alberto lives. Alberto finally does show up at the convention reassuring Diego that he loves him.  But after their love making, he hides his homosexuality from the other doctors, by flirting and partying with a woman at the convention.  Diego, in love with him, is tortured by Alberto's erratic behavior.</div> <bR> <div> Back at home, Elena finds Alberto's cell phone and dials in to hear the messages.  She is shocked to hear a man's voice, leaving love struck messages, and she now finally knows the truth.  The remainder of the movie is a painful portrayal of Alberto's anguishing conflicts.  He loves his wife and son and clearly wants to be heterosexual.  At first he is successful at staying away from Diego, but when Diego finally shows up at his door, Alberto crumbles.  Alberto can't deny his true feelings, his true identity.  His crisis of realizing who he is, versus the man he is trying to portray, ultimately crushes him. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>:  This is a painful, enlightening portrayal of a man whose true nature is forcing him out of his closet.   It is also an insightful analysis of the pain a lover causes when he is ambiguous and deceitful.  The problem of being in love with someone like Alberto is that when he wants you, he is wonderful and enticing--when he doesn't want you, you can't even find him, leaving you aching for his love.  Alberto is a master enticer, a Don Juan, seducing his lovers with emotional connection that seems sincere at the moment, but, as he is not true to himself, is as fleeting as his real sexual identity.  He doesn't want to lose either of his lovers and seems to be trying to make everyone happy.  That is impossible, and usually implies that at least one person is getting royally screwed.  In this case, Alberto is cheating on everyone. Diego doesn't even know his lover is married.  Elena is being cheated on two accounts; her husband has a lover and her husband is gay.  And Alberto is cheating and tormenting himself, unable to accept his true sexual identity.</div> <bR> <div> The characters of Alberto, Diego and Elena are subtly drawn and masterfully portrayed.  They are realistically based on the director's actual experience with a gay lover who was secretly married.   The emotional intricacies of Alberto's persona and his conflicting relationships feel so true to life that they transport a gay story and are applicable to everyone who's ever been caught up in the web of a dishonest relationship. </div> <bR> <div> This movie is my first experience of seeing an explicit male sex scene.  Initially I was pretty shocked and thought it was going to be a long, uncomfortable movie for me, but it wasn't.  After the first moments of intimacy I hardly noticed these were two male lovers instead of a man and a woman.  It didn't matter.  The relationship issues were essentially the same and transcend the characters' sexual identities.  Anyone who has been in love with someone cheating on them has experienced the emotional destruction that is so well captured here.  The explicit homosexual sex scenes may discourage some from seeing this film.  I found it very worthwhile; it is an insightful depiction of a cheating lover's torment.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Not Rated (sex; nudity)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Brenda D. Sexton © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:brendasext@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:brendasext@aol.com"><U>Brenda@reelmoviecritic.com</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Jordi Molla':  Blow, Son de mar</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Ariadna Gil:  Don Juan</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Javier Bardem:  Before Night Falls</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Director Gerard Vera:  La Celestina</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>