21 January 2007

Mysterious Skin

I watched the movie Mysterious Skin today on DVD. This haunting film was directed by Japanese American director Gregg Araki. I first heard of Araki when I was working at Blockbuster Video in the late 90's. He is well-known on the indie film circuit. Until today, I had only seen Totally Fucked Up (1993), The Doom Generation (1995) and Nowhere (1997), otherwise known as his "Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy." These films were highly controversial due to their graphic violence and sexuality. On the other hand, Mysterious Skin, a story that deals with the devastating effects of child abuse, based on a 1995 novel by Scott Heim is disturbing on an entirely different level and proves to me that Araki has matured as a filmmaker. The performances given by the young actors in this film are incredible. It is a must see. Click here to read an interview with Araki about this film.

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