|
One of the most iconic science fiction films of the last two decades, Inception didn't just raise the bar for cerebral big screen blockbusters, it also made moviegoers question the nature of their reality. Just as movies like The Matrix, Vanilla Sky and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind did before it, Inception was about more than just the journey of one man — it was about an idea much greater. That notion, that our dreams could be more than just the musings on our unconscious minds, is something that countless filmmakers have explored over the years. And with Daniela Forever, writer-director Nacho Vigalondo is sharing his take, in this sci-fi-themed romantic drama about one man's struggle to cope with the death of his girlfriend, and the lengths he'll go to to try and recover what he's lost.
Nicolás (Henry Golding) is a DJ who moved to Madrid to further his music career. However, when he meets a beautiful and talented illustrator named Daniela (Beatrice Grannò) after a gig one night, it forever changes the trajectory of his life. Falling in love and moving in together, the pair soon become inseparable. But when Daniela is fatally struck by a car while waiting at a bus stop one day, it sends Nicolás down a deep, dark hole of depression. Desperate to find any way to deal with the loss, Nicolás pays a visit to the doctors at a Belgian pharmaceutical company, who have developed an experimental drug that can help him overcome his depression. After beginning his clinical trial, though, it quickly becomes apparent that this is no ordinary treatment. Granted the ability to dream about Daniela every time he takes one of the pills, Nicolás creates an entirely different reality for himself — one where Daniela never died and he was never left grieving. However, when his lucid dreams start to becoming more real than waking life, that's when he realizes he must make a choice. Will Nicolás continue living in a fantasy world? Or will he choose reality, even though it's full of painful memories? A bittersweet story about love and loss, what follows isn't your typical sci-fi fantasy. For adventurous audiences in the mood for a visually inventive parable that's part quirky romance, part melancholy drama, however, it's an intriguing example of what's possible when filmmakers think outside the boxes that characterize conventional genre storytelling. Either way, the result makes for a worthy successor to Vigalondo's previous feature, Colossal. And while only time will tell if his next project follows suit, one thing's for certain — if it's half as interesting as Daniela Forever, viewers will already be in for something special. |
Daniela Forever screens under the Platform programme at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Its runtime is 1 hr. 58 min.
0 comments