In Her Skin (AKA "I Am You") 2009

It's a bold statement to say "This is a true story" when a film is so creatively told. If I were to tell you a true story about myself, and added a moment of spiritual disconnection from my body, for instance leaving my body and turning off a television set plus the lights in a room, then you might think I'm a lunatic or you might be very gullible. However, ignoring that first statement, "In her Skin" is a well told tale of sadness and explicit violence. This is based on a murder of 15 year old ballerina by a family friend, and it told through the eyes of the fear stricken parents, the deranged and troubled murdered, and plus an omniscient narrative. The acting is top notch, with difficult and demanding roles. The musical score and song choices stand out and really set the mood.
            In no way during the film did I feel like the story was exploiting a horrific crime, like other disgusting films of the past that chose to focus primarily on the most horrific moments of the characters life instead of developing characters we can care for and understand what how the horrors can affect people (ie, Boys Don't Cry and An American Crime). This is a sad story, no ways around that, but it is done with respect for the characters and audience. This one is an extremely delicate subject matter and it is handled respectively.
            Be warned: the murder scene is graphic and disturbing.       
            See it.