Cleveland International Film Festival review : Blondie
Swedish director Jesper Ganslandt returns to the Cleveland International Film Festival with his third feature, but sadly the result is a bit of a mixed bag.
Three years ago Ganslandt was award the festival's highly acclaimed Someone to Watch award, and the brilliant The Ape, along with his debut feature Falkenberg Farewell, were screened to rave reviews.
This year's festival brings audiences his latest offering, Blondie, the story of three beautiful sisters who reunite to celebrate their mother's 70th birthday. While on paper each daughter has turned out well, the reality is far less promising.
Katarina is a doctor with two cute young daughters which is cheating on her husband with a much younger medical intern. Elin is a model living in Paris with a cocaine addiction, and youngest, Lova, seems to have her own secrets hidden away. Broken into three acts, the film follows the woman as their lives continue to crumble in front of our eyes.
Ganslandt direction here is top notch, as is the equally impressive cinematography by Linda Wassberg, though both are not enough to save viewers from losing interest by film's end. Still there is much to love about the film presumably Olle Sarri as Janne, the alcoholic husband of the adulterous Katarina. Sarri, the star of Ganslandt's fantastic second feature The Ape, steals the show and makes you forget about everything else wrong with the film.
One last screening of Blondie has been added to the festival on Sunday, April 14th at 9:35 a.m.