Now I know you Outposters don’t always rave about indie movies, but now and then, there is a hidden gem. Take Borderline, for example, a movie that might have been overlooked. We had the trailer recently, and it looked interesting.
Borderline stars Samara Weaving, Ray Nicholson, Eric Dane, Jimmie Fails, Alba Baptista, Patrick Cox, and Yasmeen Kelders. Jimmy Warden is the writer and director; he is known for writing Cocaine Bear. I liked Cocaine Bear, it did exactly what it was suppose to, entertain in a stupid way.
The Story
The official blurb for Borderline is:
A bodyguard protects a pop superstar and her athlete boyfriend from a determined stalker in 1990s Los Angeles.
If you have seen the trailer, you know there is more to it than that. Sofia (Weaving) is a pop star, living a good life. Well, apart from the occasional fan, you know, one of those fans that take it too far.
We meet Paul (Nicholson) as he turns up at Sofia’s house. He’s met by Bell (Dane), who knows him well; he’s had to deal with Paul before. Paul is a stalker, and unhinged to boot. He believes that him and Sofia are in love and he plans to propose to her.
Bell won’t let Paul in, obviously, but then Paul starts to believe that Bell is Sofia. Things get out of hand, and Bell is stabbed.
Six months later, Bell is making a good recovery and returns to work. He learns that Paul has managed to escape from jail with a fellow inmate and has to warn Sofia. I won’t spoil the rest of the movie, but it all gets out of hand.
There is a wedding, a very bizarre wedding.
The Cast
The cast of Borderline is great. I’m liking Weaving at the moment, she’s been choosing some really interesting roles; The Babysitter, Ready or Not, Guns Akimbo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; not bad for a girl known from Home and Away, an Australian soap opera.
Weirdly, Weaving doesn’t have that much to do here. That’s not taking anything away from her character, Sofia is great, but she’s not the main focus, Paul is.
Borderline is about Paul’s ‘love’ for Sofia; the main issue being, he’s crazy. I don’t know what the technical term is, but I’m going with nutcase, schizo, barking mad, a fan of The Last Jedi?
Nicholson’s performance is fantastic. He goes from someone who might actually be a nice guy to being on the edge of reality. By the end of Borderline, he has lost the plot, and I mean really lost the plot.
The end credits are very interesting, as we stay with his character, who then goes through a wave of emotions.
Just like Dad
Nicholson has a famous father, a guy who’s been in one or two movies. Obviously, Jack Nicholson is a genuine cinema legend! Following in your father’s footsteps is a tall order. However, it seems Ray is carving a niche for himself.
There are times in Borderline where you see Jack in Ray’s performance, you just can’t help it. I know there are dozens of great performances by Jack, but I kept thinking about The Shining and Batman.
Jack’s fall into madness in The Shining is a beautiful thing to behold, and Jack has the face for it. If I saw him at the end of a corridor, with ‘that look’ on his face, I would be scared. Even more so if he had an axe.
I think Ray is doing the best to not be his father, and as I say, he seems to be doing a good job with it. I think he needs a role, like The Shining, to really make his own mark.
Ray is very, very good in Borderline. Even though the movie is a dark comedy, it takes a darker turn, and he moves with it.
Overall
I’m not going to go into more details about Borderline, because you should give it a go. If I say too much, it will spoil things, but I feel entertained.
The first act shows you a dark comedy. Dealing with mental illness, but keeping it fairly light. The second act is much darker, showing how Paul manages to get into Sofia’s mansion. There are moments that are creepy.
The third act is just batshit crazy! When you realise how crazy Paul is, it’s funny, in a really bizarre way.
Overall, Borderline was an interesting watch and something I would put on again. I’m giving it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I can’t say there’s anything that’s new in it, but it’s an interesting take on the home invasion story.
Borderline will be on digital on the 8th of September.
