Madagascar Skin

Harry is a lonely and rejected gay man with a red birthmark covering half of his face, as the ultimate symbol of his isolation from society. After a disastrous pub visit, in a desperate attempt to find human contact, he gets into his car and drives away from his miserable life. The surrealistic car journey into the night ends on a beach where he discovers a bucket about to be engulfed by the incoming tide. Under the bucket is Flint, beaten, buried up to his head and left to drown. Harry digs Flint up. He is a man with exotic tattoos who calls himself a cosmopolitan builder, but who is actually a thief. This unlikely couple settle down in a small, deserted cottage which Flint fills with stolen goods from a neighbouring cottage. Harry's platonic feelings for Flint soon develop into love, but his shyness and insecurity prevent him from saying anything. To make things worse, Flint spends most of his time mentally undressing women in black bikinis. Eventually Flint's experience and irresistible charm persuade Harry to come out of his shell, and their relationship takes a new turn. Madagascar Skin is a charming film, with two very capable actors, able to carry the whole film without it becoming dull. John Hannah's performance as Harry is moving and authentic. The witty and intelligent dialogue creates a relaxed atmosphere, and is used to give depth to the characters of Harry and Flint. The director Chris Newby is already known for his attention to detail and the image. He creates here an exciting visual fresco. The most memorable scenes are often without dialogue. Details like ocean-waves and tree-shadows are used effectively to create movement within the image. The suggestive lighting, the colours and composition are impressive. Mirrors and other light-sources which reveal Harry's birthmark are initially his enemies, but later in the film they are used to liberate him. Harry is a symbol for all lonely and rejected people, who feel like outsiders. The portrayal of the relationship be-tween Harry and Flint, two people that society has rejected (and are each other's opposites), shows that there is hope even for the most hopeless cases. All that is needed is respect and appreciation. Harry's birthmark and Flint's tattoos are marks which underline the distance between them and the rest of society, but at the same time linking them closer to each other. BB

Premiärstatus
Nordisk premiär: Medverkande
Bernard Hill, John Hannah, Mark Anthony: Producent
Julie Baines: Manus
Chris Newby: Foto
Oliver Curtis: Musik
Various: Talat språk
English