Even though I have enjoyed most of Nacho Vigalondo’s other films, I am certainly disappointed with his latest entry, a movie titled Daniela Forever. Any cinephile who has experienced films that examine romantic relationships and the problems and failures due to human frailties has already witnessed what this movie has to offer. This movie comes as a disappointment because Vigalondo usually presents people, relationships, and their problems in exciting and inventive ways. However, his latest comes across as another rehash of ideas and concepts from other films and lacks Vigalondo’s brand of originality.
In Madrid, Spain, Nichoas (Henry Golding) is in mourning and continues to cope with the untimely death of his beloved lover, Daniela (Beatrice Grannò). Due to his inability to deal with his loss and because his friends are concerned about him, he decides to participate in an experimental pharmaceutical test where he can gain control of his dreams while he is asleep. Under the influence of the medication, he has the opportunity to exercise some control of his dreams, using the dream world as an opportunity to revisit his relationship with Daniela. He eventually discovers that this approach to his mourning is problematic as he becomes addicted to his experiences in a fantasy world.
While this concept has the potential to go to exciting and brilliant places, Vigalondo copies other movies that deal with relationship troubles in very surreal ways. In addition to this problem, the movie gets somewhat redundant in its sequences. The limited budget of the film also limits the possibilities of what Vigalondo wanted to accomplish. The entire affair plays out like a strange TV movie. While it has some enjoyable and poignant moments, it doesn’t present itself like a movie that belongs on a cinema screen.
Henry Golding, while moderately likable as Nicholas, often comes across as stagnant and dull. The same goes for Beatrice Grannò, who portrays Daniela, a charming character the audience never gets to know honestly. Because of the parameters of the story and its limited scope, the audience never gets to honestly know most of the characters in the movie, as they are mostly presented through Nicholas’ perspective.
Although I enjoyed some aspects of Daniela Forever, I am somewhat disheartened that Nacho Vigalondo, who is typically visionary, falls short with his latest film. Daniela Forever is a film I would not recommend, despite its pleasant moments.