Watching Chris Eyre's "Skins", I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Here I was watching a seemingly realistic film about modern Native Americans made by a director of Native American descent and all I kept thinking about was how poorly structured it was. For years, I have waited for an important Native American filmmaker to emerge and take his place next to Spike Lee as the voice of his people. A filmmaker who would give us an honest and heartfelt view of his world while at the same time destroying the stereotypes perpetuated by Hollywood for the better part of a century. So it is with deep regret that I inform you that such a filmmaker has yet to show his face.
Going into the film, I was absolutely confident I was going to walk away praising it to everyone within earshot. After all, it is not everyday, or year for that matter, that you get to sit down and watch a film with such a unique point of view. Color me surprised then when I sulked off with a completely opposite reaction. A reaction as angry and depressing as the film itself.
With the indie success of "Smoke Signals", one would think that director Eyre would've been in an easier position to finance and film this sophomore effort. And, if that is indeed the case, why is it that "Skins" feels even more amateurish than his first film? From the lighting to the editing to the incredibly poor storytelling, the film fails to meet even the most modest expectations for a low budget production. Even the proven talent of actor Graham Greene is wasted in scenes staged with pathetic attempts at humor and pathos. The perfect example being the shot of his final goodbye, which has all the subtlety of a ten ton nuclear blast.
But, amid all of the clichés and shameless manipulation of emotion, the film does have one saving grace and that is the performance of lead Eric Schweig.
As police officer Rudy Yellow Lodge, Schweig moves through the story with both authority and vulnerability. Two conflicting traits that add some much needed credibility to his little foray into vigilantism and his reactions afterwards.
By the end of "Skins", I couldn't help but wonder if the novel by Adrian C. Louis was somehow misinterpreted here. If I was to hazard a guess, I would have to go with yes - because why waste your time turning bad literature into an even worse movie.
Ration [on a 5 star system] : 2 stars
Going into the film, I was absolutely confident I was going to walk away praising it to everyone within earshot. After all, it is not everyday, or year for that matter, that you get to sit down and watch a film with such a unique point of view. Color me surprised then when I sulked off with a completely opposite reaction. A reaction as angry and depressing as the film itself.
With the indie success of "Smoke Signals", one would think that director Eyre would've been in an easier position to finance and film this sophomore effort. And, if that is indeed the case, why is it that "Skins" feels even more amateurish than his first film? From the lighting to the editing to the incredibly poor storytelling, the film fails to meet even the most modest expectations for a low budget production. Even the proven talent of actor Graham Greene is wasted in scenes staged with pathetic attempts at humor and pathos. The perfect example being the shot of his final goodbye, which has all the subtlety of a ten ton nuclear blast.
But, amid all of the clichés and shameless manipulation of emotion, the film does have one saving grace and that is the performance of lead Eric Schweig.
As police officer Rudy Yellow Lodge, Schweig moves through the story with both authority and vulnerability. Two conflicting traits that add some much needed credibility to his little foray into vigilantism and his reactions afterwards.
By the end of "Skins", I couldn't help but wonder if the novel by Adrian C. Louis was somehow misinterpreted here. If I was to hazard a guess, I would have to go with yes - because why waste your time turning bad literature into an even worse movie.
Ration [on a 5 star system] : 2 stars