Following an accident, a woman becomes obsessed with her own body, but not in a esthetic way, rather in a more involved manner.
Written and directed by Marina de Van, Dans ma peau, or In My Skin in English, is a film that starts as a low-key drama where the viewer is lulled into the life of lead Ester until things start to slowly change and she discovers a fascination with her own body that can only lead to horror and blood. The script is incredibly strong and powerful at times without screaming at the viewer. The direction works great with this, leading to a result where the film has something to say, says it, is effective, and manages to creep under the skin of the viewer in a way that takes a while to get there, but once it’s there, it won’t leave.
The lead performance of Esther is provided by writer/director Marina de Van, bringing this film in a personal realm that works amazingly well here. Her work is subtle at first and becomes more like a fierce force as the film advances. She is the film, she knows it, and she makes the most out of it. The rest of the cast was clearly very carefully selected. Laurent Lucas as Vincent is great, even giving his character a few moments where he’s not the man the viewer wants to watch, showing that the right performer can take a character and make him what he needs to be. The rest of the cast is pretty much on part with Lucas and de Van, everyone seems to have understood the needs of the film and give it their all.
In terms of style, the film is almost subdued with images that are intimate and pulled back almost at the same time. The cinematography by Pierre Barougier is quietly beautiful, allowing the story and the characters to develop and not making a big show of things unless they need to be. At the same time, it doesn’t shy away from anything. The editing by Mike Fromentin does a little bit of the same in its own way, giving scenes the time they need to work and move, cutting at the right moment, but not too soon.
A bit controversial, a bit subversive, a whole lot of intimate connection with the material, Marina de Van serves here an incredibly powerful piece of cinema about the body, the connection to one’s own body, and life as a woman. The film showcases strong writing, directing, and acting, with de Van pulling off a trio of tour-de-force. Her work here is the entire reason to check out this film.
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 runs from July 14th to August 3rd, 2022