Jason goes to Indiefest--Day 12

Just one movie on Monday--President's Day. So I got the day off, slept in a lot, caught up on my blog, and saw AEROBICS: A LOVE STORY. A tender entry into the festival's unofficial theme of disabilities, this Swedish film is the love story of mentally-challenged Maria and...well, I don't think they ever officially diagnose him as mentally-challenged, but Janne is an overweight, awkward, wannabe-TV producer whose puppet show idea has got no traction with the local station. They meet online, and when he misses their meet up (due to being drunk and sad at home) she finds his address online and goes to help him. Their relationship comes from a place of lonely people needing companionship, but it unfolds in such a sweet, tender, loving way that it's hard to resist. For a while, it basks in the relationship so much that I was afraid there would be no conflict in the film at all. A meddling sister puts an end to that, and much like LOVE LAND it explores the tricky line of protecting the mentally ill and allowing them their freedom, with all the joy and possible heartbreak that entails.

Running Time: 77 minutes
My Total Minutes: 384,168