In Her Skin (2009)

the audience applauded

Simply Perfect

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Australian screenwriter, producer and director Simone North's feature film debut which she wrote, is based on a novel called "Perfect Victim" from 2003 by Australian writer Elisabeth Southall and UK journalist Megan Norris. It was screened at the Brisbane International Film Festival in 2010 and is an Australian production which was shot on location in Melbourne, Australia and produced by producer Tony Cavanaugh. It tells the story about Rachel Elizabeth Barber, a 15-year-old dancer from Melbourne who disappears on a spring day in 1999. Her father Mike and her mother Elizabeth contacts the local authorities, but as there is no evidence of something criminal having happened to Rachel no search is instigated by the police and Mike and Elizabeth has to begin investigating on their own to find their eldest child.Subtly and intimately directed by Australian filmmaker Simone North, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated by the female protagonist and from multiple viewpoints, draws a gripping portrayal of an Australian family and their strive to locate their missing teenage daughter. While notable for it's colorful milieu depictions, fine production design by Australian production designer Peta Lawson and cinematography by Australian cinematographer Jules O'Loughlin, this dialog-driven, narrative-driven and heartrending thriller-drama which examines humane and psychological themes, depicts a nuanced study of character and contains a great score by Australian composer Ben Frost which emphasizes it's lingering atmosphere.This authentic and unsettling story which explicitly describes the complex personality of a disturbed woman who is marred by her self-perception and conflicting relationship with her parents, and the hardships of a loving mother and father, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, the fine acting performances by English-born Australian actor Guy Pearce, Australian actress Miranda Otto, New Zealand actor Sam Neill and the profound acting performance by Irish-Canadian actress Ruth Bradley. An incisive, empathic and lyrical directorial debut which is inspired by real events that took place in Melbourne, Australia in the late 20th century.

This is a very intense thriller and drama movie. Carolyn (Ruth Bradley) scary me, Miranda Otto she so perfect on the character of mother. Great actors, intense history and good direction.The film is based on the true story of Melbourne teenager Rachel Barber who was murdered in 1999 by Caroline Reed Robertson. I knew this going into the film and surprisingly, it doesn't take anything away from this thriller.The performances by Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto are painful to watch at times because they're so believable. The way in which they cope with their daughter's disappearance is a stark contrast with Sam Neil's performance as Caroline's father. He sees Caroline as a nuisance.

The title it played in Germany at the Fantasy Filmfest. A very strange little movie, that is very dark and will very likely appall a lot of people (if they don't know what they're in for especially), because of it's theme, but also because of it's graphic nature (at times, not that often, but still quite disturbing).The actors involved in here are all good, Guy Pearce giving a better performance (there must be a better script at hand I reckon) than in "Don't be afraid of the Dark". One of our lead actresses has to go to really tough places and she manages to do so very convincingly. Not for everyone and I'm not sure "enjoy" would be the right word to use after watching it, but this is a really good work of art!

I saw a movie today that moved me. I watched it by chance. I almost returned the movie to Netflix without watching. But, as luck would have it, I had nothing else to do, and nothing on my DVR, so I popped it in. I was in a trance the entire time. Simone North did something that is rarely done in movies today. She got a gut wrenching, honest and realistic performance. Ruth Bradley should have won an Oscar for her performance. The realistic portrayal of insanity was amazing. I was reading some reviews and was quite disappointed by their negative opinions of the movie. I am not sure what has happened to Hollywood. Why is it so one sided now? Why must everything in the movies be about portraying America as Bad and evil, the minority as the victim, the homosexual as the hero....I am okay with all of that IF THE MOVIE IS GOOD! Focus on the story, the acting....stop with the regurgitation of last years hits. Thank you Simone North for stepping out of the box and giving us some amazing performances.