Fingernails

The most interesting film I've watched this year, that's for sure. "Fingernails" is nothing you'd expect -- it's got this test on love (quite literally) that will make you bite your nails, and your fingers, and close your eyes in the moment. With an A24-coded story concept that is weirdly satirical, it's one that has a satisfying tale of romance, an exploration of uncertain feelings, and what it means to crave that feeling. Both Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed have the perfect dynamic on-screen that I just cannot get enough of. These two are some of the very few actors I utterly admire and respect and so seeing them together in this film was something I really enjoyed. Everything was beautiful and entertaining in a way that would lure you into its world; with a production design that is just mesmerizing, and a soundtrack that perfectly fits with the characters' emotions. A perfect grasp of the desire for what "love" really depicts, and a perfect character study on a flawed character who is unsure of her feelings, while putting all her fate on a love test.

Fingernails started out with a pretty good premise--check your love for each other by testing an entire (painfully-removed) fingernail.

Jeremy Allen White (Lip from SHAMELESS) sleep-walks through his part in this story (not his fault, however) playing the sad, but happy, spouse.

Jessie Buckley appears to have gone to a blind chimpanzee to have her hair glued up sideways, and it never got better. The bed-head surely distracted from her appearance and acting ability.

As the story painfully progressed to the predictable conclusion, you are left asking yourself "Why didn't I stay home and floss the cat?" or "If they'd just turn down the air conditioning I could take a 90-minute nap in this building".

Sufficient, only for the presence of Jessie Buckley, who is truly magnificent! The film is along the lines of that little masterpiece that is Perfect Sense, but much simpler, not superficial but... too simple. Let's say it could be a good episode of Black Mirror, but nothing more. The direction and acting are very good, but it's all too clear from the start. Slow film, at times soporific, but not boring, full of good intentions, but never takes flight. At least they avoided honeyed and ridiculous scenes. The plot is a little ridiculous, but perhaps it is intentional, a metaphor of how the modern generation uses technology not to help itself, but to guide its own life, entrusting its own free will to dubious scientific theses relating to the human soul, at least as the film shows them. Jessie Buckley is beautiful!!!

If this story had been well written, I'd have liked the leads together very much. Sadly, it was not well written. I'm a scifi geek and I normally can suspend disbelief and don't care about the science, nor the premise, all that much. In this case, the way this story is written, a five year old child would question the test. I agree with other reviewers that the fact that none of the film's own characters question it strains the disbelief several steps too far, particularly considering how low tech this particular method of this trope is portrayed here. Since most of the characters appear miserable (agree with 'bleak world'), it's extremely depressing and drags on so badly. I cannot imagine a GOOD reason to watch this film. Further, if a large number of people watched it together, say in a theater, I would suggest putting the group on suicide watch.

I generally watch anything that has Riz Ahmed in and never leave reviews but I'm really glad I watched this and was surprised to see such a low score.

I found it a calm and peaceful film but I really felt it between Anna and Amir. I enjoyed subtlety of the question of whether love is enough.

Jessie Buckley is brilliant (I've only seen her in Men up until now and she shows a totally different side in this film) and I found her heartache so easy to connect with. Riz Ahmed is as excellent as ever and brings Amir to life gently.

Don't let the scores put you off, it's definitely worth the watch.