Los Angeles. Writer Zach is caught by his mistress while cheating on her with her hairdresser, and is also caught by his wife Alex who enters their home. Alex banishes Zach from the house, but he is a womanizer who simply cannot settle down. His rare friend is barkeeper Barney. Zach has a series of flings: with Lonnie, a woman bodybuilder; with Amy, who broke up with her boyfriend, a British guitarist, but as the latter returns back to the hotel room, Zach has to quickly hide; with Molly, who gives him a too long electro-therapy, leaving him too agitated. Finally, Zach quits alcohol. This helps him calm down, return to writing, and thus he is able to reconcile with Alex again.
"Skin Deep" seems like either a continuation or a restructuring of Blake Edwards' previous relationship comedy films "10", "Mickey & Maude" and "The Man Who Loved Women", all focusing on a man who is driven to overreach his relationship status by chasing after another woman, which indicates that he isn't quite satisfied with the woman currently right next to him: he respects her, but he yearns after some passion in his love life. "Skin Deep" is a fun comedy for grown ups, featuring one of John Ritter's best movie performances, but it also hides some bitter, tragic truths about life underneath the surface, contemplating how the protagonist Zach is never satisfied, and in depression that he cannot make more out of his life. This is illustrated in the amusing dialogue with Barney, the barkeeper, when Zach admits that he wants to have it both ways: he wants to stay with his wife, but also wants to sleep with which ever woman he meets. Edwards still has that knack for comedy, whether it is physical gags or snappy dialogues. In one sequence, the mother-in-law and Zach have this effervescent exchange: "Who gave you the black eye?" - "Why, you want to congratulate him personally?" The dialogues between Amy and Zach also have their moments; "I love good Heavy Metal." - "Really? That's impossible. It's like saying I love a good root canal." The movie doesn't have a whole lot of creative takeoffs, noticeable in the last 30 minutes which don't have any successful jokes anymore, since the inspiration seems to have exhausted itself in its final act, and some of the physical gags feel a bit forced at times. One comedy-gold joke is legendary, though: the one where Zach hides in the closet in dark, wearing only a blue flourescent condom, and then Amy's boyfriend enters the bedroom, wearing a red flourescent condom, causing a "sword fight" between the two condoms in the dark, reaching absurd levels.
Grade:++
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