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(More customer reviews)Fans of 70's Swedish sex kitten Christina Lindberg may wish to check out this film which is billed as Ms Lindberg's last movie appearance. I would note that there is now a NTSC Region 1 version of "Wide Open" available from Impulse DVD so N. American viewers can enjoy the expereince ( I purchased my copy on ebay as Amazon isn't listing it, yet). All that said - "Wide Open" is actually not all that great a flik, nor does one get as much of Christina as might be wished for, and is implied by her prominent appearance on the box cover art! The Impulse disc 'extras' includes an interesting, contemporary, interview with both the film's Director, Gustav Wicklund, and Ms Lindberg herself (still looking pretty hot after all these years!)... that sheds some light on aspects of the film. Wicklund had previously directed Lindberg in the (much better) film: "Exposed" and was hoping to cash in on her popularity again with his new concept of a crossover softcore sex/gangster film. However, Lindberg had just returned from making big bucks on a Japanese movie deal and her, newly, inflated fees only allowed Wicklund to hire her for two days of shooting... thus her presence in "Wide Open" is relatively minimal. Still her time on screen is used to good advantage as she is pretty much gloriously naked throughout in scenes as diverse as a porno photo shoot to nude vacume cleaning in her boyfriend's apartment.
The overall filmic experience of "Wide Open" is pretty uneven. The director was apparently attempting to create a blend of sexiness and criminal intrigue with a light comedic overtone. From my perspective he didn't do a very good job of merging the genres. The plot involves a low life guy who is living with two sisters and enjoying sex with both of them. About 50% of the plot revolves around the 'tensions' created by this sexual triangle. One of the sisters, Beryl (played by blond Gunilla Larsson) gets inadvertantly involved in a drug drop by picking up a fur coat belonging to another woman that has mysterious packets of white powder hidden inside it... she is then persued by the gangsters trying to recover their property. The henceman who is trying to get the drugs back for his 'boss' is portrayed as a bumbling klutz - and this provides the 'comedic' element. Sadly, it all doesn't really come off very effectively in the director's (and editor's) hands. The characters are all somehow sorta unlikeable, the 'situations' unbelievable, and the continuity is choppy. Christina plays the role of a photographer's girlfriend both of whom are rather tangential to the main plot and characters. Gunilla Larsson gets the most female screen time and I'd have to give her about a C+ on the attractiveness scale - which is also the 'grade' I might give to the whole movie. Lindberg explains in her interview that her 'skin film' career ended because her boyfriend/husband of the day (himself a 'centerfold' photgrapher!) didn't want to 'share' her with anyone else, so she quit the biz. Thanks buddy! If one wishes to get a real sense of the qualities that made Ms Lindberg 'a star' I'd recommend viewing other of her earlier offerings such as "Maid In Sweden", "Thriller, A Cruel Picture", and the, previously mentioned, "Exposed". Still, if you are a die hard fan of Lindberg and/or Swedish erotica, "Wide Open" may be worth a look.
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