Daniela Forever: A Profoundly Confused Sci-Fi Romance

Somewhere between Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception lies Daniella Forever, a film that finds itself stuck. The result is merely a confused mess featuring good ideas, visuals, and performances that, however, just can’t find its agency amidst the blob of misguided direction. That being said, writer-director Nacho Vigalondo remains a name to watch, delivering exciting visuals and innovative ideas on how to frame a narrative. But, in this case, the narrative lets him down on every turn, with Vigolando the writer undercutting Vigalondo the director, making for a profoundly confused picture overall, and one that is difficult to recommend to audiences. 

In spite of its many issues, there are still a few aspects to the film that are worth commending, namely, Henry Golding’s fantastic performance as Nick, a grief-stricken DJ locked in Madrid as he struggles to find his place in the world following the sudden loss of his girlfriend Daniella (Grannò). Following the advice of his friend Victoria (Poza), Nick begins an experimental drug trial that will allow him to enter a lucid dream world, one with set parameters, to help him move on past the grieving process. Sidestepping this, however, Nick constructs a dream world crafted out of his reality, one where he can be with Daniella again, forever. Such a promising concept, which almost guarantees emotional strife at least on paper, is instead a confused mess due to a messy and unfocused script. Vigalondo (Colossal, Time Crimes) delivers in the visual department, imparting the film with a cool albeit pretentious aspect ratio that differentiates the real world from the dream world, and a plethora of other cool visuals and compelling flourishes while in the dream world.

The emphasis on grey matter-consuming parts of a dream world that Nick doesn’t understand is a nice touch and makes for some of the film’s more memorable moments. The premise of Nick being akin to a God in his dream world is interesting; he can make people appear or disappear, make Daniella remember or forget what he wants, and he crafts a world that superficially reflects how he wants to be, the ultimate escapist paradise crafted solely to escape the responsibilities and traumas of the outside world. However, as quickly as the film explores the theme of grief, it soon indulges itself into the theme of toxic relationships, with memories of those who we want them to be supersede memories of who they truly are, numbing and erasing the agency that Nick fell in love with in the first place. Although an interesting premise, Vigalondo struggles immediately following this, as the film becomes confused about what its core sentiment truly is, throwing more and more at the wall and hoping something sticks. 

As mentioned, strongest part of Daniela Forever is Golding’s fantastic performance as Nick; he captures perfectly the state of someone like Nick, ensorcelled by this newfound escape. His performance is equal parts charming, funny, empathetic, and pathetic; everything this film needed. Meanwhile, Grannò holds her own as the titular Daniela, although she is underutilized for much of its runtime. Above all else, the film is yet another case of its positives being equally matched with its negatives; Golding’s standout performance and the film’s unique visual style are undercut by a misguided script, one which whiffs entirely in the midst of the film’s emotionality.

In the end, Daniela Forever, a film that seemed structured around making audiences sob is rather one that will fill them with befuddlement, especially following an ending that would have better off been left behind in the first draft.

still courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

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Brad Simon

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