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Inspired by feminist writings, Adler has invented a story about Iris (Morton), a young woman whose mother (British veteran Rita
Tushingham) suddenly passes away. Shattered, the insecure Iris is unable to find comfort from her older married and pregnant sister Rose (Rushbrook from Secrets and Lies). She abruptly discovers the only way to deal with this tragedy is self-destruction of the sexual kind.

So, Iris moves out of the family home taking some of her mother's
clothing for comfort and a new look (she constantly wears her mum's wig and fur), drops her boyfriend, starts hanging out in clubs and adopts a newly found promiscuity.

Under the Skin has been critically praised far and wide for its
uncompromising representation of female sexuality (there's even a golden shower scene), but your opinion of this highly personal film will depend on how much you can identify with the main character.

Iris' mother dies very early on in the piece and it's hard to gauge her maternal connection. When Iris suddenly spirals down into rarely represented depths of self-degradation, it's difficult to empathise with her.

Some may say this film is reality but it certainly didn't get under this reviewer's skin. ---Dov Kornits

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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=168&reviewer=14
originally posted: 08/26/98 14:08:44
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