Derek Franson's surreal drama about a young woman's relationship with a shifting and whispering tattoo she has willed to life on her skin really needed a score that would compliment and heighten the atmosphere. And Alain Mayrand delivers an incredibly powerful and atmospheric score. The original music for the film is written for a chamber ensemble consisting of strings, woodwinds and piano, which reflects states of desolation, despair and demention, effectively making use of stark contrasts between poignant melodies and atonal colors evoked by musique concrète techniques...

Some soundtracks are incredibly well realised, but only work when accompanying the movie. Alain Mayrand's score for Comforting Skin is one example. Mayrand's music is experimental, atmospheric and incredibly intricate... but only when listened to in the confines of the movie. Listened to on it's own it's still creepy and a little unnerving, but it's also rather dull.

There's no recognisable themes and nothing that raises any emotion other than raw fear. For that fact alone this is a remarkable score, but sadly it wasn't one that I can seriously recommend, unless you like sitting in your bedroom and scaring yourself half mad.

Technically interesting, but not an easy score to listen to in isolation.

6

Darren Rea