This is Henry Golding like you’ve never seen him.
In Nacho Vigalondo’s second TIFF feature (Colossal, TIFF ’16), we are brought into Nick’s (Henry Golding) world, which is fueled by grief over the sudden death of his girlfriend, Daniela (Beatrice Grannò). In a last ditch effort to revive him from his depression, his friend enrols him in a drug trial for lucid dreaming. If done correctly,k the trial would help him process his pain, but Nick doesn’t follow the rules. Instead, he uses the drugs as a playground to be with Daniela.
Vigalondo’s expression of Nicks depression through brutalist digital video and 80’s grainy, 4:3 aspect ratio held in contrast to the colourful world of Nick’s lucid dreams made my watch intoxicating. This is one of the few films that I saw at TIFF that took creative risks in its visual storytelling. Every frame reflected Nick’s state of being, and I was fully immersed in his suffering.
The performances are equally stunning. This is the role that Golding has been waiting for; the layers of Nick’s pain from depression to erratic joy to nervous breakdown demonstrate his range beyond heartthrob (Crazy Rich Asians) or sinister boyfriend (A Simple Favour). Grannò also shines with her character’s constant emotional whiplash as Nick imagines her to be his personal Kintsugi. He interacts with Daniela selfishly, putting their relationship together again with perfect memories and experiences to prevent her from falling out of love with him. With limited dialogue, her talent for physical acting is powerful. She leaves nothing on the floor as Nick’s marionette doll.
What didn’t work for me was the ending. It completely pissed me off because of its lack of clarity and added confusion. What begins as a story about loss and grief quickly becomes an exploration of what these overwhelming emotions can do to a person when not healed. Nick’s desperation to be with Daniela morphs into a lucis prison for her when he starts to deny her growing autonomy. The set-up to a triumphant lesson – good or bad – was perfect, but the ending fails with its meta-fuelled, ambiguous finale.
I loved this movie and the experience that it gave me but the ending guaranteed that it would be a one time watch for me.
Daniela Forever is playing at TIFF ’24. For more information, click here.
