Bofsensai

Hmm; sheesh!

First, you have to admire Ms Eriksson, auteur like putting out, this her third, seemingly all completely organising yet another of her ..

Well, what has she presented us with (again) in her continuing alphabet titlings? (First, 'M', then 'W', now this - presumably for main character 'Eva' i.e. As portrayed by herself?*)

Now, if you like Jodorowsky like visual pretentiousness (nonsense!), plus recall, seen and like the desert scenes in Antonioni's '70 (similarly tedious!) 'Zabriskie Point'.. you may adore this.

If you don't, you'll be in for a trudge; as like shown in this as characters do interminably so through sand dunes in this - 'Eva' (and another?*); and, amazingly so, in high heels no less: and never losing, either! As surely a 'fear' in itself for those who have had experience of trying to traverse light sand!

The shifting, rolling, windswept dunes are well - almost mesmerisingly - captured in this: to extent makes you wonder how many takes were required to capture the characters on their ever pristine sandy locations (of Namibia coast apparently.) So much so I would shout out kudos to the sand wrangler / 'smoothers' - whatever they're called; (there was no such crew credit I could discern in my viewing ..); surely nearly all the film shooting of could not have been captured in just one takes?

Most of these shots are also accompanied by a wonderful windsweptian-like soundscape - also of Ms E's doing, I believe (so, kudos again), which may either keep you awake through this soporific set up, or ... not ...

Ah, but what of the (any?!) plot, storyline?

Absolutely no idea.

A Finnish PM makes a gaff at an occasion (Swedish gala? It begins in indefinable negative stock); a voiceover line tells us that 'she' exposed a particularly intimate part of her anatomy - which in hindsight - apparently - could be sold as an anti-war sentiment (although, it admits, not sure, which particular one to target); that's one aspect to listen out for; as the interminable sandscape shifts about you, to keep awake, several archly amusing comments are thrown in ..

by which, what (just!) might be of relevance is that the director's own country did recently have a female (left wing first) Prime Minister - and of whom, but surely just incidentally, was, as portrayed here by Ms E., of slim physique (but she was blonde: here the two (?*) female 'protagonists' are brunette); and of note, on leaving her national post went to serve in the ex UK PM Tony Blair's Middle East Institute; why add that to this review? Because in the English subtitling seen to this film, this 'PM' is frequently referenced to a 'Blair Witch' institute. (And I could discern nothing of relevance to that '99 notorious horror film, otherwise.)

Oh, and plus a funereally mourning like all in black (i.e. NOT desert heat sensibly!) umbrella (=now desert sun blazing down sensibly!) toting trio traverses - well, almost literally gliding - across the dunes, too, in a completely mysterious - well, unknown to me - way, but reminiscently of as some sort of Shakespearian Macbeth three witches reference and / or Greek chorus observationally comment on; at least the most incisive line to me is delivered by one of them: "Is there something that can be made of this" (or some sort of my premiere (?) viewership recall) .. It took all my audience respectful control not to yell out loudly; "NOOOOO"!

So, make of those aspects what you will; indeed, to make of what this whole mood piece you will, too; for as I could make nothing whatsoever of it; so other than enjoying the ever shifting sands shots (certainly NOT the constant traversing the dunes and / or even just laying stock still down on them, as Asian / Japanese (?) looking guy (possibly Porco Lee?), opining (whining!) on his lot, soon bloodied and / or compatriot (unknown) dragged over ..!), I could not.

So found the whole conceit consistently - comfortably - pretentious of Ms E.

N. B. I thought the old telephone box and dial so significant to the whole sandy shebang it should have got its own separate (sourced?) credit.

* At one point, two females are espied in the one dunes shot - and besides, 'each' sports at different times, different coloured underwear beneath her pantyhose; this is NOT salacious; Ms E. Directs to have this shot aspect of her rear enough to assure this is surely an intentional focus; so if not a continuity goof, is Ms E. In 'two' roles (no other female is credited - here) This may allude to a further, mysterious, (incomprehensible!) 'doppelganger' aspect thrown out in the telling.