No surprise at all, this, given that Sony Pictures Classics has distributed Pedro Almodóvar’s last five features in the US, but the specialty outfit has already started beefing up next year’s prestige lineup by acquiring the Spanish auteur’s next outing, “The Skin That I Inhabit.”
We first reported on the film, which is currently in production, in May. (Back then, it was billed as “The Skin I Live In,” which is a considerably less clunky translation than the one they’re currently going with, I must say.) As much as any new Almodóvar piques my interest, this one has me particularly intrigued for two reasons.
First, it’s the director’s first collaboration with former male muse Antonio Banderas in 20 years, and second, it’s reportedly a Gothic-flavored revenge thriller — a welcome shift in direction after “Broken Embraces” found him in something of a creative holding pattern.
Thompson on Hollywood reports that Sony have the film pencilled in for a November 2011 release Stateside — again, following the pattern of every Almodóvar title since 1997’s “Live Flesh” — which suggests we should expect a major festival bow beforehand. Will it be ready in time for Cannes, where his last three films premiered? Or could Venice be the beneficiary?
Before you start making awards projections based on that release date, bear in mind that Sony — expert foreign-language awards campaigners that they are — haven’t had much luck with the director’s more genre-tinged efforts, “Broken Embraces” and especially “Bad Education” failing to take hold in non-ghetto Oscar races after being passed over by Spanish selectors. “The Skin That I Inhabit,” described by its own director as “a terror film,” sounds like his least voter-friendly effort in years… which is all the more reason to look forward to it.
[Photo: Surinenglish.com]
Comments
6 responses to “Sony adds Almodóvar’s ‘Skin’ to 2011 slate”
Guy on indiewire they have you as giving Meek’s Cutoff an A-. I thought you gave it an A?
http://www.indiewire.com/film/meeks_cutoff/
I got cautious. Grades are slippery things for me — they need time to settle. It may well be an A in the end.
Anyway, in my grading system, an A- is outstanding — year-best material.
Am really looking forward to this. Antonio was so great in Law of Desire and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and another wonderful ingredient to the endlessly re-watchable Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Also looking forward to Pedro re-teaming with Marisa Paredes. I believe they haven’t worked together since All About My Mother right?
Curious about that biopic Mina that is rumored to be his next project after this, as I always thought he never wanted to do a biopic.
This film is based on the book “Mygale” by Thierry Jonquet.
Last time Almodovar used a book for the script was in “Live Flesh”, by Ruth Rendell.
I was really kinda disappointed with Broken Embraces when I saw it. I mean I liked it well enough when I finally saw it but it has really gone down in estimation. There is nothing worth remembering except the cinematography. It was a very hollow movie.
Lets hope this one is a return to form.
Does anyone know why “Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down” is not available on DVD in North America? The same is true of “High Heels” and “Kika.”