With “Divergent” in theaters and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” on the way, blockbuster season is upon us. But fear not, adventurous cinephile, if you do a little digging, there is still some gems to be discovered at a theatre nearby, and today brings clips from two them.
Jonathan Glazer‘s “Under The Skin” is the first effort from the director in a decade, which alone should be enough reason to see it. The Scarlett Johansson-starring flick is truly something special, an extraterrestrial tale that’s also a celebration of humanity, but also an exploration of our darkest impulses. It’s heady stuff, beautifully and boldly shot, and in this clip—that’s nothing more than Johansson driving, backed by Mica Levi‘s fantastic score—you can see the immediate allure of the movie.
Meanwhile, Richard Ayoade shows off a different set of chops in this clip from his doppelganger tale “The Double.” The film moves at a particular and specifically calibrated pitch and rhythm, building comedic momentum with every minute and this clip—in what becomes part of a running gag—shows Jesse Eisenberg‘s meek Simon James coming up against the first of what will be many obstacles.
“Under The Skin” arrives on April 4th, with “The Double” dropping on May 9th. Watch below.
Saw both of these at Tiff last year. Under the Skin is a fantastic, dream-like, cerebral science fiction film that has the ability to either pull you slowly into its depths (as it did for me) or completely alienate (pun intended). The Double. while a neat attempt at Dostoevsky as though through the lens of Tarkovsky in a funny mood, ultimately is too cold and disengaging to really hit its mark. Either way, two intelligent, adult-minded films that reach way beyond standard commercial fare is a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to see Under the Skin again, as I think it will ultimately benefit from multiple viewings.