User reviews

Two people are lost in the monotony of life on a hot summer day. Billy, a shy young man, works at a pet store and is bored out of his wits. He survives through his affection for a six-foot python, the most exotic animal in the store. Gwen, a Gothic, freakish but beautiful young woman, is stuck waiting in a car with her mother, who doesn't seem to care too much for her. The two meet when Gwen decides to buy the python. Being the only animal he cares about, Billy, without thinking, decides to pursue Gwen on a bus ride back to the suburbs. This is when we see the real story.

"Second Skin" is both about a bizarre love triangle between a young man, a young woman, and a snake (note the obvious reference to Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden of Eden) and a commentary on the monotony of life and the whole scheme of things. Billy and Gwen are two outsiders caught in a life where they don't belong. The two actors who portray Billy and Gwen are excellent--after watching, you can't picture anyone else portraying these roles. Particularly watch Aleksa Palladino as Gwen, who is almost unrecognizable from her wonderful role as Lo in "Manny and Lo" (1996). Glenn Fitzgerald does a great job as Billy.

The scene that really interested me was the final scene, after the two get off the bus (a bus ride noteworthy of a short story, as Gwen is groped by a football player, an attack she handles well with the help of, first, the python, and then Billy). The road is silent and deserted, with green surrounding them. Billy has nowhere else to go, and Gwen, on her way home, decides to keep him company, though, in reality, she has nowhere else to go either. The two are made for each other, and through their performances, the actors made Billy and Gwen real.

The characters and the storyline are too interesting to forget. The only problem with the short film is that it's TOO SHORT. After the final scene, I was left with the feeling that it wasn't complete, that I wanted to see what happens next in the life of Billy and Gwen. And there's potential for a lot more in this romance. This is one short film (like "Sling Blade," "Bottle Rocket," etc.) that could turn into a full-length feature film, but only with Glenn Fitzgerald and Aleksa Palladino reprising their roles.

Whenever you get a chance to see "Second Skin," tape it. It's a wonderful short film.

This is a short film from Amy Talkington and Lara Shapiro and it's about a rather meek young man who works in a pet shop who falls for a goth girl who comes in to buy a snake. Both characters were very interesting and I found myself liking them a lot. However, I really wish this had been expanded into a full-length film because at about 15 minutes, it was too short and there seemed to be a missing resolution. At the end, it just seemed to fizzle a bit as the snake slithered away from it's container. I really wanted the story to continue and to see what would happen next. Questions about the two (would they form a relationship or would he lose his job for just taking off?) filled my head and I would love to see this expanded. As it was, it was pretty good but not quite enough to make it exceptional--given more time, it easily could have been.

As a movie goer since my teenage times, I must say this was one of the best short films I have ever seen. While I saw it, it reminded me of many marvelous movies... The last picture show, Long Island Expressway (LIE), Thelma and Louise, My own private Idaho... and many others... Amy Talkington is a very good director. She shows she must do longer movies for our pleasure. The actors were great, Billy and the other youngsters are just X generation guys - just like all of us! And they show how life can be cruel with us every day. A snake is more than just an animal: it is at the same time a picture of our society and a symbol of how we have sometimes to survive in a world full of people... Gary Zazulka (Nat) exhales sensuality and exuberance. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in a good movie and a real true metaphor of our daily lives. By the end of the movie, we realize how true was what Jean Paul Sartre said about our freedom: "men are condemned to their own freedom". Even living out of prisons, we still live in a huge cage - even if we do not see the bars... I loved you, Amy Talkington! And I loved your cast - especially the scene on the bus, and the end... You have to remake this screenplay as a longer story! It was just perfect! Congratulations! Send me an e-mail some day because I would love to get to know you and your cast! LOL