In My Skin
2002 ‘Dans ma Peau’ Directed by Marina de Van
Synopsis
Esther, a self-conscious young woman who works for a public relations firm. One night at a party with her friend, Sandrine (Léa Drucker), Esther wanders into the backyard and stumbles, scratching her leg on a piece of scrap metal. She goes back to the party, and later realizes that her injury is much more severe than she had thought. There's a huge, ugly gouge all the way up her shin, and she's bleeding profusely. She goes to a doctor, who patches her up and tells her she might need a skin graft. But Esther becomes obsessed with the wound. She won't let it heal, sneaking away during work to cut herself. As her leg becomes an ugly scarred mass, she begins to notice a problem with her arm. Before long, she's alienated Vincent and jeopardized her job with her compulsive, self-destructive behavior. But she continues on her grotesque downward spiral.
Cast
Popular reviews
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In My Skin certainly has some problems; but one of these problems isn't originality. Things such as a lack of a true plot formula and explanation for the central character's actions may put some viewers off, the film deserves huge credit for stepping out of the mainstream and delivering something a little different to what most film fans will be used to.
I sometimes find myself having problems with horror movies disguised as art movies. It often comes off as just an excuse to show the most despicable things you can, while having a somewhat sketchy motive to do so.
But I do feel that this comes close to getting the balance right. It stays true to the horror genre… -
I don't know how the director made such an unwatchable subject so mesmerizing.
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A compelling, and incredibly disturbing, look at one woman's descension into self-destruction. As a huge fan of horror and gore, I'm always looking for the next movie that will actually scare me or disgust me. French filmmakers usually don't let me down, and this is no exception. Body horror at some of its most extreme. I would've liked some more insight into the "why" behind the protagonist's obsessive, escapist behavior, though.
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Marina de Van writes, directs and stars in this psychological study of the disconnect between body and mind. De Van plays a woman who, after accidentally injuring her leg at a party, begins an unhealthy obsession with her own flesh. In My Skin takes self-harming to Cronenbergian levels of body horror as she prods, tears and stabs at her own flesh before embarking on self-cannibalism and beyond.
Her journey of quite literal self-discovery is cold and aloof. We witness her self-mutilation but the reasons for this new found fascination remains frustratingly vague. Whilst trying to explain it may have come across as glib the film doesn’t even attempt to raise causes for this desire for dissection. There is little sign…
Recent reviews
More-
In My Skin certainly has some problems; but one of these problems isn't originality. Things such as a lack of a true plot formula and explanation for the central character's actions may put some viewers off, the film deserves huge credit for stepping out of the mainstream and delivering something a little different to what most film fans will be used to.
I sometimes find myself having problems with horror movies disguised as art movies. It often comes off as just an excuse to show the most despicable things you can, while having a somewhat sketchy motive to do so.
But I do feel that this comes close to getting the balance right. It stays true to the horror genre… -
This movie should not exist at all. It's a totally pointless, meaningless, uninteresting movie, without any ressemblance of a story besides an excuse to show a couple scenes of self mutilation, without any context or discussion about it, there's absolutely no reason to watch this, not even for the few disturbing scenes. It's not an empty movie because it's full of boredom, my head was almost falling from my neck, I had to sleep for some hours after the movie. It could easily be described as a body horror that talks about this and that, and that kind of stuff that with some effort, everysingle movie on earth can be described, but there are better ways to do that than…
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Lady, you better watch out; It's dark out here and there's some sharp metal stuff - - - Omigod! Lady, are you alright, you've got a huge gash in your leg! Oh, okay, it's not that bad. Oh, Jesus, lady, why are you using another sharp metal thing to make it - - - oh, dear, that's just awful! It's worse! Yes, perhaps you should rest at this motel. Oh, holy ghost, lady! You're pulling at your wounds and eating them? You're drinking your own blood?! Aww! Oh, no! Golly...
[Or, Cronenberg for the French movie obsessed art crowd. (Then, how come you didn't like it, Ben?) Um, because I spent most of it looking the other way or covering…
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I don't know how the director made such an unwatchable subject so mesmerizing.
-
A compelling, and incredibly disturbing, look at one woman's descension into self-destruction. As a huge fan of horror and gore, I'm always looking for the next movie that will actually scare me or disgust me. French filmmakers usually don't let me down, and this is no exception. Body horror at some of its most extreme. I would've liked some more insight into the "why" behind the protagonist's obsessive, escapist behavior, though.
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In My Skin is a film detailing the lengths a person can go when they are gripped by obsession. Esther (played by writer/director Marina de Van, in an astonishing and profound performance) becomes increasingly fascinated with her body after she accidentally injures herself at a party. What follows is several scenes of self-mutilation (which eventually lead to self-cannibalism) that will induce sickness in the brave viewers wishing to challenge themselves with this film.
In My Skin seemed to wear its influences on its bloodied sleeve, a trait I enjoyed upon viewing. It reminded me of Cronenberg's body-horror, and at times it tapped into the female fronted psychological-horror of films like Repulsion, Possession or Antichrist.
Sadly, however; In My Skin seems to lack any real purpose. Not a whole lot is explained, and although interpretative cinema can be interesting and rewarding, I would have preferred In My Skin to have had more substance.
Reviewed as part of my Shocktober 2012 Challenge.
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Marina de Van writes, directs and stars in this psychological study of the disconnect between body and mind. De Van plays a woman who, after accidentally injuring her leg at a party, begins an unhealthy obsession with her own flesh. In My Skin takes self-harming to Cronenbergian levels of body horror as she prods, tears and stabs at her own flesh before embarking on self-cannibalism and beyond.
Her journey of quite literal self-discovery is cold and aloof. We witness her self-mutilation but the reasons for this new found fascination remains frustratingly vague. Whilst trying to explain it may have come across as glib the film doesn’t even attempt to raise causes for this desire for dissection. There is little sign…
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Mildly interesting documentation of a woman's dissociation from her body after having an accident at a party. Quite bloody, however I wish the psychological factor had been explored in more depth.
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Marina de Van writes, directs and stars as a woman who accidentally lacerates her leg at a party and becomes fascinated with the wound. Fascination soon turns into obsession, and she's booking herself into hotel rooms where she unpicks her stitches and slashes her flesh further. What I expected to be a grim but sensitive exploration of self-harming turned out to be an interesting and grisly shocker. Very bloody, and very French, it's reminiscent of Claire Denis's Trouble Every Day, but much more entertaining.