Review of Border

Border (2018)
10/10
Unique Sensibility
25 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Shame, guilt and rage; Tina has the unique ability to sense what people are thinking. This and other qualities make her a superb border guard. She is also a daily target for bullying and snarky comments because of her looks (Tina was born with a facial disfiguration). Enter Vore, who not only looks a lot like Tina but acts like her and is surprisingly smug about it. He crosses the border frequently and keeps leading her off target with his own strange sensibilities, disrupting Tina's life. But there is something about Vore that attracts her too. "There is nothing wrong with you," Vore tells her. "If there is something different, it is because you are better." As her confidence grows, the border between Tina and herself diminishes. So do her defenses. Who is this man, and who is she?!

Border is a charming, unpredictable and extraordinary film that revolves around psychological insight and fantasy. The story telling is extremely well done and the character actors are excellent. It is full of delightful, even if unsettling, surprises. I loved that Tina had a good heart and was connected to the natural world and animals, often traveling to waterfalls, hiking in the forest and swimming in lakes night and day. A favorite at Cannes. You don't have to be Scandinavian to know what the film is about, but it helps (don't ruin the surprise by reading deeper beforehand). North American premiere seen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.
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