How to begin talking about it without covering a few bases first. We have a woman, unnamed, played eerily well by Scarlett Johannson. She stalks the streets of Glasgow, Scotland in a large white van. She preys on men who usually come to offer her assistance or directions, after which she takes them to an isolated building and lures them into a black pit of liquid and removes their skin. Oh, and she appears to be an alien.
What we learn about this woman is minimal. In the opening shots of the film, we see a man pulling a woman's body from the beach, a woman later stripped by Johannson in need of her clothes. The story churns along episodically, as she moves from one victim to another. As we come to realize her possible intentions, it's interesting to watch how she learns to use her body as a weapon. Men find her irresistible. She's as deadly as a siren.
The movie offers very little in terms of motivation or backstory to her character, nor her accomplice; this motorcyclist who we see every now and again tidying up her dirty work and reigning her in as she begins to explore the world on her own. The story merely begins at what seems like a random point in time, and ends when it feels fit. It's an examination of situation, and as an audience member, we are oftentimes the only voice of reason as we watch senseless acts of violence and disregard. Yes, the story evolves around this woman, but her personality is so thin and motivation so senseless that the story functions without a protagonist at all.
One night, she picks up a man on his way to the grocery store. He is severely disfigured, and she speaks to him as she would any other victim. She asks if he has friends, or a girlfriend, or if he is lonely. We know her intentions are evil, and yet the way she speaks is sympathetic and kind. The man accepts her invitations without question. And here is the woman's change of heart: she feels sympathy for this man. She lets him escape.
It seems like a timeless story to have a character journey the world in search of themself. The woman leaves behind her van and journeys into the wilderness. Maybe she is growing more human, or at least a conscience. She meets a man who offers her help, food and clothing. Perhaps he is beginning to care for her, but it is clear she cannot accept his advances. She is trying to fit into the world, and yet she will never fully become one of us.
The ending is bleak and jarring, but so is the beginning. Scarlett Johannson carries the film with a very remarkable confidence, finding very minute ways to portray someone that is both human and extraterrestrial. On paper, this is a bizarre film to say the least, and even after watching it, there is something about it that is slightly absurd. Sometimes, though, its nice to see something that breaks all molds and tries something new. It will dig under your skin.
(Awards potential: Best Actress (Johannson))
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