Border is a fairy tale. It is not a happy-go-lucky Disney princess story. Despite some similarities, it is not like last years Best Picture Oscar winner, The Shape of Water. It is most akin to old-school, traditional Grimm fairy tales. Just replace all the limb dismemberment with child pornography. Border is horrific, but also, at times, sweet and beautiful. This is unsurprising considering it is based on a Lindqvist short story, who also wrote Let the Right One In.
Tina is the fairy tale 'princess' of this story. She has the magical ability to literally smell wickedness as well as being whimsically in tune with nature. However, there is one caveat stopping her from being the traditional princess. Simply put, Tina is ugly. This is not some "Hollywood" ugly; she resembles a caveperson. It is no surprise to hear her lament how she was teased throughout her life. And we see plenty of people give her long, bewildered glances behind her back. However, she doesn't face much conflict due to her abnormal appearance. She gets along with her colleagues, has a sort-of boyfriend, and her neighbors are friendly. Sweden really is the tolerance capital of the world. One of the main themes of the films is the desire for a sense of belonging, so it would have been nice to see more challenges for Tina in fitting in. However, the films greatest accomplishment - besides the fantastic work by the make-up department - is, that the movie itself does not gawk at its protagonist. This is not a circus freak show. Border is full of intimate close-ups and there are only a few short scenes without Tina. For many, her appearance may be off-putting, but thanks to Ali Abbasi's delicate direction - and Eva Melander's subtle performance -, it doesn't take long to stop focusing on her looks, but rather her inner beauty.
This is not to say that the film doesn't want to elicit strong emotions of discomfort and disgust. Early on, Tina meets Vore, a fellow uggo with a grotesque and creepy smile. There is one scene in particular where I couldn't decide if I should cover my eyes or burst out laughing at the almost surreal quality of it. While some of these negative emotions are invoked due to the appearance of the main characters, mostly Vore, the stronger feelings are generated not by the visuals, but from Tina's investigation into a child pornography ring. There you will find perfectly normal, attractive looking people, who are the real monsters on the inside.
Border is not all darkness and ugliness, though there is a lot of that. There is a lot of beauty. The timid Tina grows more confident and learns a lot about herself. Seeing her feel free and with an unrestrained smile warms the heart. It is unlikely, however, that you'll leave the theater with warmed heart. The themes of the film - like what defines who you are, what does it mean to belong, can an outsider ever truly belong - are not neatly wrapped up by the end.
Tina is the fairy tale 'princess' of this story. She has the magical ability to literally smell wickedness as well as being whimsically in tune with nature. However, there is one caveat stopping her from being the traditional princess. Simply put, Tina is ugly. This is not some "Hollywood" ugly; she resembles a caveperson. It is no surprise to hear her lament how she was teased throughout her life. And we see plenty of people give her long, bewildered glances behind her back. However, she doesn't face much conflict due to her abnormal appearance. She gets along with her colleagues, has a sort-of boyfriend, and her neighbors are friendly. Sweden really is the tolerance capital of the world. One of the main themes of the films is the desire for a sense of belonging, so it would have been nice to see more challenges for Tina in fitting in. However, the films greatest accomplishment - besides the fantastic work by the make-up department - is, that the movie itself does not gawk at its protagonist. This is not a circus freak show. Border is full of intimate close-ups and there are only a few short scenes without Tina. For many, her appearance may be off-putting, but thanks to Ali Abbasi's delicate direction - and Eva Melander's subtle performance -, it doesn't take long to stop focusing on her looks, but rather her inner beauty.
This is not to say that the film doesn't want to elicit strong emotions of discomfort and disgust. Early on, Tina meets Vore, a fellow uggo with a grotesque and creepy smile. There is one scene in particular where I couldn't decide if I should cover my eyes or burst out laughing at the almost surreal quality of it. While some of these negative emotions are invoked due to the appearance of the main characters, mostly Vore, the stronger feelings are generated not by the visuals, but from Tina's investigation into a child pornography ring. There you will find perfectly normal, attractive looking people, who are the real monsters on the inside.
Border is not all darkness and ugliness, though there is a lot of that. There is a lot of beauty. The timid Tina grows more confident and learns a lot about herself. Seeing her feel free and with an unrestrained smile warms the heart. It is unlikely, however, that you'll leave the theater with warmed heart. The themes of the film - like what defines who you are, what does it mean to belong, can an outsider ever truly belong - are not neatly wrapped up by the end.