another 'NR' rated movie rec - watch at your own risk

I just saw a stunning movie. Mysterious Skin by Gregg Araki. It's too late now to start writing a full review, but I just want to say it's probably one of the very best American films I have ever seen. Very NON-Hollywood, of course. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Reflecting Skin, that strange and forgotten masterpiece where Viggo played a young soldier returning from Vietnam (he played one in Indian Runner too, of course, but Reflecting Skin is the one where he had dark hair and wore the 'romantic poet' shirt, lol). It has the same ruthless, uncompromising honesty to it, exposing a side of America that Hollywood makes its business off pretending doesn't exist. It's no less disturbing, too - but each dark or violent scene serves a purpose, there isn't one second of gratuitous 'cheap sensational thrill' in it. Everything that happens in that film has layers of meaning. And it's wonderfully acted, too - Joseph Gordon-Levitt in one of the main roles is a total jaw-dropper. I know I must have seen him in something else before; his name doesn't ring a bell, but his face certainly does (or it could be just that he looks a lot like Heath Ledger, lol). Anyway... gorgeous guy and amazing actor. Very brave - which, again, reminds me of Viggo. Yes, there is great, genuine, important moviemaking going on in this country too - just far away from the glorified Celluloid Paradise, imo. This is a film about real people and the different ways a traumatic childhood incident can shape a person's life experience. Yes, I thrive on dark psychoanalysis and heart-rending drama. What? It's better than fake 'reality' shows. Or that's what I keep telling myself whenever I start to wonder why it's so addicting to wallow in other people's misery.:P

ETA: It had been too long since I had last seen The Reflecting Skin, and so I got it all mixed up. It's not Vietnam that Viggo's character is returning from in that movie. It's World War II. Not that rural Idaho would have changed all that much within 20-30 years; the 1940's look very 19th century to me in the film - except for the cars (which are ancient enough, but I don't think there WERE cars in the 19th century ;). Anyway... I just watched it again, and I must say it is one of my favorite Viggo films. It's extremely creepy... in a good way. Gives me shivers every time. And the kid who plays Viggo's little brother is just unbelievable. Surely, Viggo's been in a lot of crappy flicks in his day - but he's also been in some priceless gems that seem just as totally forgotten...