Blondi

"Blondi" (2023) by Dolores Fonzi is a film that promises a lot but delivers little more than unbearable tedium. From the very first minute, we are faced with one of the most clichéd tropes in cinema: the typical jaded person who, after smoking a joint, dives into an endless celebration orgy where they become the center of attention. However, instead of offering something fresh or interesting, the movie gets stuck in heavy and insubstantial banality.

The character of Blondi tries to be complex and three-dimensional but ends up being a caricature of those who believe they are free spirits and gifts from heaven, when in reality they only inspire laziness and sighs. The repetition of her dialogues with her son, mother, or sister only underscores this lack of depth, turning each conversation into an echo of the last.

Visually, the film does not help its case. The chosen filter is not only incomprehensible but also makes the entire image look terrible, as if it had gone through a washing machine rather than a camera. There's nothing to see, literally. It's boring, tedious, and nothing happens that's worth remembering.

"Blondi" wants to be cool; it pretends to be a thought-provoking film, but it ends up being very foolish. It's a waste of time that, in its attempt to be profound and liberating, remains on the surface of endless banality. In summary, it's a very bad and pretentious movie.

This wonderfully intimate film is crafted in a way that tricks you into thinking that you've figured it out, only to disarm you and make you feel a blast of emotions as genuine as the characters and the story. And genuine they are. The movie is cleverly paced, the characters (2 generations of women, their infamous son in law and their children, most importantly Mirko) are living and breathing three dimensional human beings, every phrase believable and recognizable without being corny, and the emotional climax you're being driven towards is so organic that not a trace of manipulation is there. Dolores Fonzi does an excellent job as a director and writer, as she does as an actor (less of a surprise considering her career path so far), the storytelling is subtle and stylish, with a touch of humor and avoiding the clichés, navigating you through a piece that could be filled with them.

It's a slice of life story, a coming of age story, a mother-son story, a sister-sister story, and a few more - somewhat defying the conventions of those relationships on the way. I was ready to dislike the "hippie-ish" seemingly refusing to mature mother, and yet there was something beyond that surface that Ms. Fonzi was hinting at, not giving away, and somehow emanating - that kept me wondering. And just when I thought I'd figured it all out - she broke my heart in most satisfying climactic scenes and a life-affirming denouement and ending. Blondi was a picture that for me has turned out to be so much more than "another Argentinian dramedy". Great cast, really good story well told and food for thought. Recommended. I hope we'll see more from Dolores Fonzi the director in the years to come.

I agree 100% with the first review.

It's a very nice movie about family relationships with warmth but without being corny or melodramatic.

It gave me vibes of the 2016's movie "20th century women" with Annette Benning, but in Buenos Aires. Which is always charming.

All characters are so likeable but with their faults, it felt very real.

It's a nice family movie if you don't mind some drug use. All things considered they're a pretty regular and loving family.

I recommend it if you wanna see a cut of regular (or maybe not that regular) people's life.

(IMDb stop asking for so much text! It's so unnecessary! It's too much!)