Nina Forever

Dir: Ben Blaine, Chris Blaine

2015

****

Nina Forever, the brainchild of the brothers' Blaine is a darkly comic film that is almost impossible to categorize. At the core of the film is a romance between Rob (Cian Barry) and Holly (Abigail Hardingham). Rob is slightly older and is experienced and Holly is young without ever had a lover. In this sense the story explores the many different levels and kinds of relationships and rejects the usual formulas used by mainstream movies. Rob is a quiet and troubled guy who is still recovering from a suicide attempt, following the death of his girlfriend Nina (Mandeep Dhillon) who died in an automobile accident. Holly, young and with a lack of confidence, plucks up the courage to ask Rob out on a date, knowing he is troubled but thinking maybe she could help him. A Hollywood/mainstream romantic drama would have the pair united but with lots of dramatics, tears and heartache, but the brothers' Blaine turn things around somewhat, the phrase 'It isn't you, it's me' is explored in a dark, twisted but actually rather accurate fashion, as the 'baggage' of their relationship manifests itself, that is, every-time the couple have intercourse, Nina, Rob's dead ex-girlfriend, appears next to them in bed, covered in blood. As the couple work through their baggage/relationship, they ignore Nina and eventually let her in on the action. It's pretty dark but brilliantly written with a very sharp script that offers humour and horror on equal levels. It reminded me of Richard Heslop's brilliant but seldom seen Frank (2012), although Nina forever is a little glossier and a little more polished. The direction is superb given the small budget, the brothers' Blaine clearly knew exactly what they wanted and nothing is wasted. They got the funding through crowdfunding and were clear from the start that it was their vision, it would remain unchanged and uninfluenced and people were welcome to become a part of it. I think they've done extremely well. Cian Barry plays his character subdued, it suits the role perfectly but it does mean that both Abigail Hardingham and Mandeep Dhillon steal the show somewhat. Elizabeth Elvin and David Troughton are also really good in their supporting roles as Rob's mother and father. Overall it's a confident and well-conceived debut that pushes the boundaries and really works when on paper it doesn't. The conclusion is perfect, a brilliant little twist that makes total sense amidst the gore, horror and spooky premise.