The Man Who Sold His Skin

Provocative and challenging, if not the most subtle piece of political commentary, the film certainly cements Kaouther Ben Hania as a name to watch in Arab cinema.

The supposedly important themes of immigrants and Syria are cancelled by its naive flippancy.

"The Man Who Sold His Skin" stretches itself so thin that you can almost see its veins struggling to circulate the blood Ben Hania needs to bring her story home.

They cry for him as both a victim and villain: but Ali is neither, for he made his choice. Yet that doesn't mean there's no room for regret and disdain, which The Man Who Sold His Skin skillfully explores.

That "The Man Who Sold His Skin" is still watchable is because the premise is still inherently thought-provoking, and Ben Hania's shot composition and cinematographer Christopher Aoun's images have a confident painterliness.

"The Man Who Sold His Skin" may not be entirely believable, but its many great metaphors for multiple social ills create their own, withering truth.

The Man Who Sold His Skin is writer/director Kaouther Ben Hania’s sophomore feature, but it has the polish and strong visual vocabulary of a much more experienced filmmaker.

Ben Hania’s film exposes a number of different ties that bind us, be they social, religious, political or economic.

There's much in the material that lays the groundwork for inquisitive discussion and nuanced scrutinization.

Too many condiments for one dish. [Full review in Spanish]