Skin & Bone (1996)

Skin & Bone is a 1996 American drama film. It is the story of three Los Angeles-area hustlers, or male prostitutes, and their female pimp. The three men are at different stages of their hustling careers: Dean is just beginning; Billy is somewhat more experienced but still naive; and Harry actively wants to get out, and is looking to break into film acting. Ghislane, the pimp, sends each of the three young men into increasingly dangerous scenarios with clients, until both Billy and Harry are killed. The film stars B. Wyatt as Harry, Alan Boyce as Dean, Garret Scullin as Billy and Nicole Dillenberg as Ghislaine.

Director Everett Lewis financed the film almost entirely, using money earned working on other films. Skin & Bone was originally intended to be entirely improvised, but after a year of filming Lewis decided to script some of it to add shape to the story. The film alternates between black and white and color, marking shifts between depictions of a character's fantasy and reality.

Critical responses to the film were mixed. Some reviewers thought it little more than pretentious titillation, while others praised the performances and direction and congratulated Lewis for raising some difficult questions.

Synopsis

Skin & Bone is an episodic account of three Los Angeles-area hustlers, Harry, Billy and Dean, and Ghislaine, their pimp. Ghislaine (Nicole Dillenberg) constantly drives the streets of Los Angeles arranging client appointments. She relies on Harry (B. Wyatt), the most experienced member of her stable, to train new recruits, including Billy (Garett Scullin) and Dean (Alan Boyce).

Actors