ReelBob: ‘Border’ ★★★★

By Bob Bloom

Once upon a time, there was a customs officer named Tina, who had an extraordinary sense of smell.

She had the ability to sniff out anyone who was guilty of carrying something illegal into her native Sweden.

This is the premise of “Border,” a modern Grimm fairy tale, based on a short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of “Let the Right One In.”

Tina is unattractive and masculine looking. People sometimes avert their eyes when they see her; others, more cruelly, call her “a freak.”

Beneath her veneer, though, is a warm, kind and sensitive individual.

From the outset, you know that Tina is different. Smartly, director Ali Abbasi takes his time: at first, slowly creating a mystery about Tina; then, leisurely revealing bits and pieces about her true identity, such as that she remembers little of her childhood and is unaware that she was adopted.

Tina’s world begins to change when she meets Vore, a suspicious- looking traveler.

Tina realizes he is hiding something, but she can’t decipher what it is. She also is attracted to him, as if they were kindred spirits.

“Border” is an unsettling movie. From its opening, it keeps you on edge, wondering about Tina and, later, Vore, who he is and if he is somehow connected to Tina.

I don’t want to divulge the film’s big secret, so let’s just say it does get weirder and darker as it progresses.

“Border” is another movie about “the other,” a person who does not fit our conception of normalcy and, thus, is marginalized and shunned by the majority of people.

While this upsets Tina, she does use her “smell” and other abilities to help customs investigators ferret out wrongdoing.

Abbasi, who cowrote the script, does try your patience. His deliberate pacing only heightens your curiosity. You sit and watch, eagerly waiting for what transpires. But the director continues his teasing, until you are about ready to burst.

And when the revelation comes, you are surprised — not because it’s a letdown, but it may not be what you were expecting.

The movie examines some of the themes floated by Guillermo Del Toro in some of his fantasy movies, such as “The Shape of Water.”

“Border” begins to lose momentum in its last couple of reels. At 110 minutes, it feels a bit padded as it winds down, offering too many anticlimactic moments.

Interesting and very physical performances by Eva Melander as Tina and Eero Milonoff as Vore also help hold your imagination. You know they are not like the rest of us — but why and who they really are is what keeps you in your seat.

Most likely, “Border” will turn out to be an acquired taste; viewers will either praise or damn it.

The poignancy that underlines the entire movie, though, is what makes it so special and worth seeing.

And, like all good fairy tales, it does, in a fashion, end happily ever after.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

BORDER 3 stars out of 4 (R), sexual content, nudity, language, a violent and bloody image

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2rsXR4cjrw