Movie Review: Blindelings
One-liner: A strong lead performance compels this artful, intimate and provocative psychological drama thriller.
Blindelings is a drama thriller from the filmmaking team that brought us Vir Altyd, Pad Na Jou Hart and Stroomop. Typically romantic co-stars, DonnaLee Roberts and Ivan Botha worked as a director-actor pairing in Stroomop, which told the story of a group of women each confronting their demons over the course of a whitewater rafting expedition. Their latest collaboration sees them share co-writing credits in a thriller with Vlugtig’s Ernst van Wyk.
Taking a more artful approach to Blindelings, the duo have crafted a suspenseful drama thriller about a pianist with deteriorating eyesight who becomes embroiled in a dangerous situation when her husband scrambles to arrange financing for a life-changing procedure. Enlisting the help of an enigmatic and wealthy sponsor, a visit to his isolated farm unearths past traumas and secret vendettas.
A cautionary tale Roberts and Botha compose a psychological thriller with a Blink style concept to leverage the main protagonist’s disability in order to create a more suspenseful and tense atmosphere. Tightening things up with an intimate cast there’s a greater focus on style as the filmmaker moves from the familiarity and safety of the city to the remote and isolated spaces of a farmland. Going from known to unknown for the pianist who has become accustomed to her fixed environment, the feeling of uncertainty pervades as the difficult financial situation compels the married couple to wade into deeper waters with the dubious promises of a would-be Samaritan.
A stellar local cast, DonnaLee Roberts headlines the likes of Jacques Bessenger and Wilhelm van der Walt. Roberts has proven herself as a wonderful acting talent and does so once again with a convincing SAFTA-nominated lead performance that captures the strength and vulnerability of Rene as she navigates her way into what becomes a life-threatening predicament. Bessenger is typically solid as the eager-to-please Paul while van der Walt captures the untamed spirit of Steyn.
“I’ll tell you why I’m deeply concerned.”
Accomplished actors, the script hinges on slow-boiling dialogue with a similar bent and pacing to Paul Schrader’s First Reformed starring Ethan Hawke. While possibly inspired by the slow-boil tension of this nuanced and intelligent drama, it’s not quite as pent-up or sharp enough to create the same heft. Blindelings leans on these moments and mostly succeeds in building tension.
Embracing sombre tones when it comes to light and mood, the earthier colour palette gives Blindelings an arthouse feel, syphoning the contrasts and opting for more natural lighting and claustrophobic spaces to emulate the experience of its partially-sighted protagonist. This unsettling undertone is ever-present and the shift of perspective is always welcome as attempts to relay the story vicariously help immerse viewers in Rene’s plight.
A relatively simple story centred on a trio, the intricacies of the backstory continue to add twists along the way to help complicate things and add layers of meaning. A trademark aspect to their work, these flashbacks are useful in the way they add texture to the story but this device also subverts attempts to keep the audience under the thumb. While the flashbacks add some relief and detail to the story and characters, there aren’t enough points of identification to truly care about what happens to them.
At times headed down the same road as Wolf Creek, Blindelings is not as violent, straddling arthouse and commercial for a respectable psychodrama. A well-acted and compelling story with an intriguing concept, it’s downplayed in favour of finesse offering a thoughtful yet familiar film in the process. A resourceful and timely exploration of a couple under financial duress, the burden of responsibility shifts into the hands of a mysterious man with ulterior motives. This kind of film would ordinarily have a more erotic edge, much like Vlugtig but defers this suggestive element in favour of safer entertainment.
A stellar ensemble keep you connected to the characters even if the somewhat predictable story and attempts at a dialogue-driven script fall short of expectations. A visually-compelling thriller, there’s much to appreciate about Blindelings and its artistic quality shines through even if the running time tends to drag. While the film could’ve been more distinctive and added greater depth to its characters, it’s intriguing and suspenseful enough to keep watching.
The bottom line: Effective
