Nina Takes a Lover

A surprisingly well written and creative script, which was no simple plot: there are twists and turns, not by pushing or attention hogging actions – the film just flows from scene to scene, be it recounting or fantasizing or in the present. It's really a gem – well-cut and put together with facets reflecting, refracting and juxtaposed -- rich in story tone and colorful emotions (at times sensuous suggestions), and the happenings were all set in and around a leisurely paced San Francisco (in a cafe or a studio, for instance).

How attractive and alluring is this picture? Writer-director Alan Jacobs made spending time in a shoe store most interesting to follow, especially we are with Laura San Giacomo. Her pairing with Paul Rhys from Britain was more than suitably matched. In the end, it's absolutely fulfilling: the romance between the two key characters is imaginative and real. This film affirms that love can be wondrous and mysteriously romantic at the same time – you and your partner can be whoever, whenever, whatever you want to make it to be. Love and receive love. Be.

Laura San Giacomo was in Steven Soderbergh's 1989 `sex, lies and videotape' with James Spader, Andie MacDowell and Peter Gallagher, and in writer-director Simon Moore's 1992 `Under Suspicion' with Liam Neeson (a very good who dunnit with twists after twists and. . .more). Paul Rhys was in Robert Altman's 1990 "Vincent and Theo" with Tim Roth and Johanna Ter Steege (she was the disappearing wife in George Sluizer's 1988 Dutch film "The Vanishing".)

With all due respect to the other reviewers here, I feel compelled to disagree completely & whole heartedly on their view of this movie. I'd also love to have some of whatever they were smoking which made this movie so stellar for them. I would point out to those considering watching it that the average is 5.3 stars and in my opinion, that is generous. The script is slow, the dialogue juvenile & tacky and, while the actors do their best with it, the performances are most definitely lacking.

If you want a "realistic" feeling movie about infidelity, try "Unfaithful" with Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez. Well written, spectacularly acted & far closer to real than "Nina Takes a Lover."

This is a quiet, scenic film set in the mellow San Francisco of the early 90's, with a pair of convincing & attractive lead actors. You could almost enjoy watching it on that basis alone. When the movie starts, Nina's husband has left town on business and the story unfolds as Nina meets and begins hooking up with a new lover. There's surprisingly little drama considering the subject matter, and the movie gets downright sluggish in parts. This film isn't really an exploration of the thorniness of extramarital affairs - for that you can watch "Unfaithful." Still, there's some food for thought as well as a few really touching scenes. San Giacomo and Rhys are both good actors and manage to keep things interesting.

Laura San Giacomo has a husband who's always away on business and it makes her a sad person. She has a meet-obnoxious with photographer Paul Rhys and they start an affair.

This is a terrible movie. Nobody in it has any discernibly human traits, so none of the dialogue sounds like things that real people would say ... and it's all dialogue. Giacomo and Rhys prattle on endlessly in scene after scene after scene.

Full disclosure: The film has a huge twist which caught me totally off-guard. In retrospect, it should have been obvious, but since little about the film made any sense, I assumed that the twist-related details that didn't add up were just part of all the other details that didn't add up. Anyway, the film manages to do nothing of any interest with the twist once it drops.

Nobody in the film is good, but I don't really blame them. At times it reminded me of "The Room", but with better actors and basically competent filmmaking. It's kind of a testament to Giacomo that she can do anything with this.

Michael O'Keefe has a totally irrelevant part that involves sitting in a chair and nodding a lot. Fisher Stevens is about as miscast as it's possible to be as a studly barista.

It is refreshing to see a movie about married life, that tells it like it is--this movie actually has a involving story! Furthermore, this movie is funny, interesting, well acted, and erotic. If you liked Laura in Quigley Down Under, and Pretty Woman, you'll love her here. Her sweet, vulnerable, yet strong and assertive personality shines as does her comedic ability. This is a terrific date movie--for married folks. Don't miss it.