All About Nina

...for one reason; Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

She is superb and destined for great things.

Ever since Sky High I knew there was something special about Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like the first movie she has been the true and only "star" and focus. Even in 10 Cloverfield Lane, she shares a lot of screen time with John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. However, with All About Nina she gets a full 90 minutes to flex every hit of her acting talent and it is quite something to watch. She does everything from very good impressions, to hilarious sets on stage, to then an incredibly heartfelt and deeply emotional set on a stage in the 3rd act. I kept asking myself whether I was supposed to laugh or feel bad for Nina as she would rip through a set and move onto the bar and drink away her sorrows. But in reality, you're supposed to feel both. The film takes you through the entire emotional spectrum as Nina learns to love herself so that she can eventually find an openness to someone else loving her again, an arc that Winstead very well could have been nominated for.

9.0/10

This movie was alright, it featured strong performances from the lead actors but ultimately ends up falling short of its potential.

It has a few chuckles throughout but plays out as more of a romantic drama than any form of an actual comedy. By trying to navigate between multiple genres, it loses potency in both.

Also, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead does an excellent job in her role, Nina is written as such a profoundly unlikeable character that it makes it somewhat difficult to empathize with her even after the big twist.

Common also does a great job with his role but his character comes across as more of a Dogged Nice Guy trope than a realistic depiction of a person.

Saw Mary Winstead in Brain Dead, which is the only reason I watched this film. She absolutely killed it in that role, so there was a lot of good will and openness for me going in. 6/10 is generous, but for some reason I still like her.

For starters, she was playing a stand-up comic and I didn't think she was all that funny, and to go out of your way to bring up gross images that are supposedly funny regarding women may be part of the point of the film, but I didn't like it at all. Maybe women try to be as gross as men with comedy, I don't know 'cause I don't go to comedy clubs, the other female comediennes seemed to be going for that effect as well.

And, once again, maybe this was deliberate, but to have her pacing around topless in her apartment rehearsing for her act was a real turn off. I would guess that 10% of the population at large looks good naked or nearly naked (at least for me), and it takes away somewhat from my seeing her as attractive, as in an attractive leading lady. Guys are guys (unfortunately, I wish I wasn't so affected by the visual), but a film is a visual medium, I didn't appreciate having that bit of mystic removed.

That it was revealed this film was a vehicle for victims of abuse towards the end explained alot. But overall, I didn't feel that much for this character, I didn't feel like I got to know her, just saw mostly her acting out and having a very defensive approach to life- overall something women may relate to more, but it sure wasn't entertaining.

An honest and moving film. Winstead is the heart of this performance. Do not miss it.