“Blue My Mind” (2018)
Blue My Mind is a brilliant, heart-wrenching, coming of age, Swiss horror film that tells the tale, or rather tail, of Mia, a young girl hitting puberty, whose body slowly starts transforming in a way that she can’t possibly imagine. Co-written and directed by Switzerland native, Lisa Brühlmann, this body horror is dealt with in such a sincere, realistic and genuine manner that is may not resonate immediately with most viewers as horror. But, make no mistake; this is a truly horrific film. The moment the credits started rolling, I turned to my wife and said, “I feel like I just watched a horror-fantasy version of Leaving Las Vegas.”
This story of identity and friendship is indeed that difficult to watch, but what we’re left with is something far more touching and hopeful than the 1995 film about depression and alcoholism which earned Nicolas Cage an Oscar for Best Actor. And it’s this young, female friendship in Blue My Mind that is the most happily surprising of the film. The setup of young Mia being transplanted to a new town, because of her father’s job, and having to start at a new school had cliché written all over it. A seemingly sweet, quiet girl starts at a new school and approaches a group of girls that are gorgeous, brash and clearly popular. We are not met with bullying, body shaming or name-calling (at least not implied negatively), but with the complex, innocent beginnings of friendship.
When Mia’s body begins to change, we are brought along as passengers to experience her pain, torment, confusion and anger in the most truthful and painful way possible. I can safely say that until watching this film and sitting with it for a couple weeks now, that I have never had the experience of feeling like I just might understand a little bit of what it is like to be a young adolescent girl. All credit goes to Brühlmann for her honest and unflinching script (along with co-writer Dominik Loacher), her delicate direction behind the camera, and to the breathtaking performance by Luna Wedler as Mia and the unexpectedly heartbreaking performance by Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen as her new best friend, Gianna.
Blue My Mind is a beautifully rendered film with aptly intimate cinematography by Gabriel Lobos, crisp sound design by Benjamin Krbetschek and a subdued and memorable score by Thomas Kuratli. It’s a difficult film to get through, but is ultimately a profoundly moving experience.
Kommentare