Is there anything Elizabeth Banks can’t do? She’s a game show host (“Press Your Luck”). She’s a director (“Cocaine Bear” and “Pitch Perfect 2”). She’s a comedic actor (“30 Rock” and “Modern Family”) who is also comfortable doing dramatic work (“Love and Mercy” and “Brightburn”).
In “Skincare” (IFC Films), which opens with the words “Fictional story inspired by true events,” Banks is given the opportunity to be both serious and comedic as lead character Hope Goldman. A fiercely competitive self-made skincare queen, Hope, with the aid of her assistant Maureen (trans actor Michaela Rodriguez) is preparing to launch her highly anticipated imported line of products.
Having made it big in “celebrity facials,” Hope’s world is turned upside down when esthetician Angel (out actor Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens his skin care studio directly across from Hope’s longtime location. Her attempt at a neighborly introduction to Angel sadly backfires, putting Hope in a tizzy.
Making matters worse is that Hope is in arrears to her landlord because all her cash flow is tied up in the debut of the product. Additionally, a segment Hope taped for a popular Hollywood talk show co-hosted by Brett (Nathan Fillion) is bumped by one featuring Angel.
Worst of all, someone hacks Hope’s email database and sends out a message that not only exposes her financial woes but includes sexually suggestive images and language. Convinced that it is Angel who is out to destroy her, she enlists Jordan (Lewis Pullman, son of actor Bill), a life coach and the much younger boyfriend of a client, to help her deal with Angel. She also seeks help from her mechanic Armen (Eric Palladino).
Before you can say, “Your pores are as big as manhole covers,” everything that can go wrong for Hope does. She’s harassed in her place of business. Investors abandon her. Clients cancel appointments only to schedule new ones with nearby competitor Angel. Things turn violent, with one character hospitalized in critical condition and another dead following a car accident.
Mostly known for directing music videos, director and co-screenwriter Austin Peters somehow finds a way to balance the comedy and drama, and keep us engaged, even as we discover who the culprit is long before Hope does. Banks does a good job of portraying a woman, for whom appearance is everything, coming apart at the seams. You also don’t want to miss the scene featuring a half-naked Pullman in his apartment.
Rating: B-
