ryan-10075 After a young boy named Seth Dove (Jeremy Cooper) is caught with his two buddies causing havoc he must go and meet his odd widow neighbour Dolphin Blue (Lindsay Duncan) to apologize. Quickly Seth believes she is a vampire. Seth's brother Cameron (Viggo Mortensen) returns home from war, but he grows to have an interest in Dolphin, which Seth does not wish to happen. Sheriff Ticker has the look of a villain straight out of an old Sean Connery James Bond movie (see Dr. No & Thunderball). I think it is wonderfully filmed with a great score by Nick Bicat. I think newcomer Jeremy Cooper does a terrific job playing the 8-year old Seth. In fact acting all around is top notch. Interesting that most scenes are played out in sunlight rather than the usual horror staple of darkness. In turn though, did not find scary at all and may work better through the lens of a drama rather than horror.

Michael Ledo I admit. I missed it. There is clearly some sort of metaphor and symbolism at work. The semi-surreal background kept he thinking about what is really happening. Seth Dove(Jeremy Cooper)is a young boy with a wild imagination growing up on a farm in Idaho. He believes the widow (Lindsay Duncan) next door is a vampire. His name oozes with symbolism, but I missed it. I suppose the symbolism involves the title, "The Reflecting Skin" which is mentioned late in the film.His brother Cameron (Viggo Mortensen) shows up from watching a-bomb tests and falls in love with the woman whose dead husband's name was Adam. More of the metaphor? Adam's first wife was supposed to have been a succubus according to lore. There is diverse religious discussions among the kids involving angels. The black Cadillac??? Was that the grim reaper?At times I felt I was going to watch another "Sailor Who Fell From Grace From the Sea" combined with "Summer of '42" combined with "Pan's Labyrinth". Sheila Moore, as the mom reminded me of the moms I grew up with before Valium. The movie had been fascinated and interested the whole time. If I had caught the symbolism, I would have perhaps gone 5 stars.Parental Guide: No f-bombs, adult themes. Male rear nudity (Viggo) and B&W photo. I obtained this film on a horror film 8-pack at Walmart, although this is not really a horror film.

jtdb You ever wonder what kind of kids like to pulls the wings off of flies, or wallow in the lowest examples of humanity and then claim disingenuously that they're just "keeping it real?" This is a film for you--the worst of misanthropic Kubrick crossed with rock-bottom incomprehensible and lurid David Lynch. Some people think this is a masterpiece; they're welcome to it. Save the two hours of your life and avoid it--and them. (For a truly brilliant take on a disturbing subject that has flickers of insight and humanity--and a knockout performance from Joseph Gordon Leavitt--rent "Mysterious Skin" which deserves all the accolades this nasty, half-witted pile of garbage erroneously gets.)

John MERZETTI What unadulterated, self-indulgent crap! The acting was simply awful! :( Boy, I wish I could get those precious hours back! I guess the one consolation is that I watched it on Encore Avenue and didn't waste any money renting it.I would like to leave the review at that, but I must write at least ten lines, so here goes.It is a good thing for Viggo Mortensen that he has done some fantastic work since then, or he might have gone the way of Philip Michael Thomas.I generally don't watch movies that show fewer than three stars in the description on my digital guide; this one had no stars, but I simply thought that an oversight. Next time, I'll know what an absence af stars means.