Madagascar Skin Reviews

British director Chris Newby's second feature -- his first was the ravishing but rather willfully obscure ANCHORESS -- is highly impressionistic, and only intermittently interesting. Harry (John Hannah) doesn't have much luck meeting men in the beauty-obsessed world of gay bars, because half his face is defined by a wine-colored birthmark shaped like the island of Madagascar. Bitter and despondent, Harry packs his car and drives to a lonely stretch of beach at what feels like the end of the world. There he encounters Flint (Bernard Hill), a petty thief who's been buried up to his neck in the sand by a trio of thugs and left to drown in the incoming tide. Harry rescues Flint and is smitten. The two move into an abandoned cottage, and much gnashing of teeth ensues as Harry tries to summon the courage to express his desire. That's about it in the way of action, so there's plenty of time left for meditations on the nature of masculinity, beauty and disfigurement. Newby, a gifted visual stylist, has made some impressive short films: This feature's slight and ultimately tiresome "will they or won't they" premise might well work better if it didn't go on so long.