A Skin So Soft (Ta peau si lisse)

Their narcissism is repellent yet riveting, and Mr. Côté comes at his subjects with an artful, exploratory obliqueness that's endearingly curious, as if discovering a whole new species.

Unfortunately, viewers unacquainted with weight lifting probably won't learn much about Côté's musclemen or their sport just by watching them fuss over their appearances ...

Finds the vulnerable side of professional he-men.

This minimalist approach to maximalist bodies offers an intimate look at six men whose lives are centered on their physical performance and appearance.

Côté's humane fascination with six bodybuilders tosses aside grandstanding and focuses on the odd duality of man and muscle.

A Skin So Soft is an object lesson on how dispensing with the template of the expository documentary can help filmmakers see past the most explicit attributes of their subjects.

A brilliant take on a sport that has the surface appearance of machismo. The film reveals a much more feminine side, complete with hair removal and posing.

"A Skin So Soft" walks a tightrope in how it presents the vanity of these guys, practically fetishizing them and asking viewers what makes these six men beautiful, erotic, or perhaps even grotesque.

The compositions are never less than immaculate, producing all manner of random correspondences and a recurring touch of camp that occasionally blossoms into full-blown Tom of Finland territory.

... open-minded cinephiles will be surprised as they are drawn into a universe in which they may have had very little interest.

While an overall beautiful and intelligent film, the humor, unfortunately, is in poor taste.

All about will and the focusing of it beyond all reason, it's both fascinating and revolting to watch these people punish themselves in the name of perfection.