Blue My Mind

Blue My Mind follows Mia, a teenage girl, as she tries to find her place among the popular students in school while facing body transformations that question her identity in every way.

A fairy tale coming-of-age that finds meaning in the examination of identity in the most basic and natural sense with a dosis of body horror that turns its dream-like quality into a nightmarish tale of teen drama.

The movie's greatest asset is Luna Wedler's performance as Mia, a protagonist who conveys the often found dichotomy of teenage ache for emancipation while at the same time requiring the safe haven of childhood.

I wasn't quite sure how to categorize this film while watching it. As most fairytales go, there are some dark elements. There are hopeful themes, too. Overall this is different enough to be interesting and I found the cinematography in various scenes to be very enchanting.

Brühlmann's story blends the age of innocence with dark fantasy ad her protagonist deals with life changes, body issues and a sense of confusion about the future. Although she tackles a heavy amount of subject material in the film, "Blue My Mind" never goes full out horror, nor does it take itself too seriously. It is a well written, well acted metaphor for transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.

The cast seem far stronger actors than their age, or the film's indie status would suggest. Characters are brought to life conveniencingly and affective. More drama that thrills, there are moments that could have taken the film a bit darker and with a little more horror. Still it wasn't really needed and the film doesn't hurt without, still as a 45 yr old man I could have related more. Or maybe more comfortable considering the material deals with female energies and becoming woman.

The special effects, though limited till the final act, are well produced blends of practical and slight CGI. All kept to a minimalist approach. Most of the film's ability to captivate is done so through brilliant story, cinematography and the human element. Overall "Blue My Mind" is a great dark fantasy drama appealing to fans of Animorph whimsy and coming-of-age drama.

There are no shortage of films telling stories about young teens facing changes in life, especially puberty, and even such movies with a "creature feature" twist number more than a few. Among such company, 'Blue my mind' nonetheless stands as a fair competitor.

Yet the problem is that while the concept is solid, and there are some good ideas in the screenplay, the best word I can think of to describe the execution is "incomplete."

Mia (Luna Wedler) is having difficulty fitting into a new school or getting along with her parents, to the point that she wonders if they're actually related. Things start looking up as she befriends a fellow student, Gianna (Zoe Pastelle Holthuizen), a rather rebellious young woman whose "devil may care" lifestyle draws out behavior in Mia that contrasts with the stricter upbringing and expectations she has known. The bulk of 'Blue my mind' is devoted, narratively, to a "coming of age" exploration of who Mia is, or could be, or might want to be. The story is anchored by fine performances from Wedler and Holthuizen, but even so, the way these scenes play out feels a little forced, and inorganic.

At the same time, Mia begins to experience strange new feelings, and see differences in her body, that portend something more transformative on the way. For about 75 of the film's 97 minutes, those troubling curiosities Mia is experiencing - a bizarre new craving, unseemly marks on her skin, acute changes in her toes - are delivered on-screen very piecemeal, with no notable progression per se. Which would be fine, cinematically, if not for the fact that in the last 20 minutes those slow and minor changes abruptly launch forward into being nearly complete. What were odd symptoms suddenly become a jarring transformation, and there's no real flow in the narrative from A to B.

Yet the film is capped off by a surprisingly strong ending. The full realization of Mia's transformation, physically and emotionally, results in some heartfelt moments before the tale comes to a rewarding close.

The great flaw here, though, is that the entire rest of the movie - an uneven coming-of-age story followed by abrupt body horror - does not convincingly flow into the ending. As a result, pleasing as the final scene is in and of itself, we're left feeling a little less than satisfied overall.

I don't dislike 'Blue my mind.' The primary young actors are good, there are good ideas, and I enjoy the ending. It's just not entirely successful in telling the story that it wants to.

Worth watching, I think. Just keep your expectations in check.

A puberty tale of a different kind. Interesting premise told excruciating slow. Lots of salacious content to keep a teenage audience interested. The acting was good. But the story could have been told in a short live action film. For the glimmer of a premise and the acting alone I give this film a 6 (fair) out of 10. {Fantasy Drama}