A Skin So Soft

A Skin So Soft
Ta peau si lisse
Directed by Denis Côté
Written by Denis Côté
Release date
  • 4 August 2017 (2017-08-04) (Locarno)
Country Canada
France
Switzerland
Language French

A Skin So Soft (French: Ta peau si lisse) is a 2017 documentary film, directed by Canadian director Denis Côté.[1] A Canadian, French and Swiss coproduction,[2] the film chronicles the daily monotonous routines of a select few men whose lives revolve around extreme bodybuilding.[1]

The film premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival in August 2017,[2] and is slated to have its Canadian premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]

The movie was originally produced in French and some have noted that the title's translation to English has produced a linguistic chasm. The direct translation of the French title, 'Ta Peau Si Lisse' being 'A Skin so Smooth', which upon initial examination flows more easily with the images that come to mind when one thinks of the over pumped and well-maintained muscles of the Canadian bodybuilders featured, than the delicate title 'A Skin so Soft' [4]

Summary

Jean-François, Ronald, Alexis, Cédric, Benoit and Maxim are tenacious strongman of modern times. Coming from backgrounds as diverse as Strongman (strength athlete) to a longtime bodybuilder to a veteran, they all share one common and ultimate desire; to overcome the limitations of man. The movies capture the intimacy, precision and discipline required of these strongmen in their daily lives [5]

Reviews

Many critics praised director Côté's unique focus on portraying the humane and sensitive sentiments of the body builders. While the movie does highlight the tenacity and grit required to maintain this lifestyle, the unexpected focus on the alternative beauty available in this lifestyle was well received.[6] However, amongst the unique beauty being portrayed, there was a general sentiment that the film lost itself with poorly guided humour. That worked in opposition to the magnificent beauty of man and muscle as it induced the audience to poke fun at the silliness of the vanity and intense obsession [6]

Amongst the unique focus of the film, the Montreal Gazette applauded the breakaway from a traditional narrative. In their review they admitted that while this was labelled a documentary, Côté was able to unsurprisingly captivate his audience by scraping a crafted tumultuous script and focus on the mundanity of their lives. A focus that they regarded as successful due to Côté's uncanny ability to make watching paint dry exciting [7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Locarno Film Review: ‘A Skin So Soft’". Variety, August 4, 2017.
  2. 1 2 ""Ta peau si lisse", un film coproduit par la Suisse, en lice à Locarno". RTS Culture, August 4, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Quebec films find a home at TIFF". Montreal Gazette, August 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ .,Film Review: 'A Skin So Soft' August 4, 2017. .
  5. ↑ . A Skin so Soft review
  6. 1 2 "TIFF 2017: 'Ta peau si lisse' (A Skin So Soft)". "PopMatters", September 10, 2017. .
  7. ↑ . "Montreal Gazette", December 7, 2017.
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