skin bone film american drama film story los_angeles area male prostitutes female men different stages careers dean beginning billy somewhat experienced naive harry actively wants looking break film acting sends young men increasingly dangerous scenarios clients billy harry killed film stars harry dean billy director financed film entirely money earned working films originally intended entirely improvised year filming lewis decided script add shape story film black white color marking shifts depictions character fantasy reality critical responses film mixed reviewers thought little praised performances direction congratulated lewis raising difficult questions plot summary episodic account los_angeles area harry billy dean constantly drives streets los_angeles arranging client appointments relies harry experienced member stable train new recruits including billy dean harry services male female clients acts male clients hire beat woman lovely girl knew convinced prostitute actor providing fantasies unsuccessful pursuit acting career harry goes casting cop movie casting director asks nudity implying casting couch scenario harry says artist loses role billy experienced somewhat goofy absent minded helps harry scenes harry tries convince actor prostitute occasions billy picks men discover man actually client case man fall love plan billy business start life shortly billy mistakes man client public man stabs death dean recent recruit training harry tries notion job acting following training successful trick woman dean women force start stop seemingly random dean performs nude cleaner client learns client marine paralyzed combat boy fell love killed client able achieve erection dean sex harry appointment regular uniform called general usually harry beats unknown harry client arranged different showing harry picture closely resembles harry general orders harry strip harry general attacks hands tape harry asks acting agent set interview casting director lets man fuck later dean place harry finds dean sitting burning cigarette dean tells harry ran away home father arrested age stealing candy bar dean cell men took turns allowing casting director harry gets small role cop film previously rejected set producers offer series sends harry local bribe attendant harry sees billy body realizes acquiring client confronts accusing arranging billy murder tells wants quit dean agrees harry dean perform final scene scene cop prisoner scenario begins cop beating prisoner prisoner cop binding beating finally shooting harry plays cop dean prisoner bound harry sees switching gun loaded gun fails convey danger dean client watch client tapes scene dean pulls trigger kills harry harry meets lovely girl asks feels dead months later dean living streets finds convinces return work themes reviewers agree los_angeles film industry prostitution homosexuality writing critic suggests film inevitably set los_angeles amid city arid strip endless dusty streets points significance constant movement city looking glamorous sunglasses new_york_times film strongest message questioning actor trade gates film comes harry notion prostitutes fact actors vice versa lewis point big difference asks acting fantasies rich old man million ticket buyers lewis weight interpretations describes giving soul away loss bonus metaphor experiences suffered attempting film evil film company production style lewis interested making film despite films dating decades seen film lewis words started movies genre original concept series minute shots lewis changed mind concept following improvisation actor creating harry character film improvised year filming improvisation sessions lewis wrote scripted material provide story structure shooting took years complete film entirely self financed film color black white sequences black white usually denotes scene involves engaged client indicates characters necessarily client scheme consistent example dean sex paralyzed client scene color harry scene color client appears screen equally harry fantasies lovely girl apparently dead occasionally color final scene harry dean black white client shown watching color raising question exactly having fantasy according lewis convention grew fact initial improvised sequences shot black white acknowledges end distinction confused film features number songs band cameo appearance regular clients played film released critical reception decidedly mixed new_york_times called bleak movie comes planned like pornographic feature director lewis praised effectively mix ing real isn bright lights film journal stronger words praise film calling intense unsettling conceptual mocking wit noting element genuine runs beneath wit brutal lethal sex village_voice dismissive film comic soap opera runs promise quickly desperate viewers hang till sorry end echoing voice guide praising lewis style nonetheless suggests film half hour long doesn offer justify existence obvious near unanimous critical note concerns performance actors playing variously described competent game hip highly judged attitude lieu creating real character like female female
Skin & Bone (film)