Nicole

An artfully playful trip into the reality of a psychologically deranged woman. Well acted and tackling serious issues in a tongue and cheek manner that works surprisingly well, Nicole is the character you'll find yourself emphasizing with and ultimately rooting for.

Well im not going to put this movie down by saying because of its low budget its a crap watch, because quite frankly ive seen much higher budget films that are eclipsed by 'Nicole'. And there are very simple reasons for this, such as the earnest characters, clever humour, well lit production and thoughtful narrative. For me relating to the main character Nicole was easy and enjoyable, being a fly on the wall for want of a better term, seeing what no one else is seeing her do, in her struggles to cope with life. Its heartfelt and relevant and an intimate look into her day to day living. The online dating scenario such as in this, we have heard about and/or experienced before and the way its done here is neatly and effectively portrayed. No, its not a flashy, cinematic masterpiece by any stretch, but it is a true to life story that is artfully produced.

'Nicole' is intriguing initially in that we know the title character has been a victim of some kind of trauma, but the film is reaching for a horror-comedy tone that is wholly inconsistent. Too much is revealed up front -- alcoholism, deceased parents -- which could have been folded into the film later, and this is the problem; the front-loaded depression overpowers later attempts at black, screwball humor. If you were lured by the poster, the first quarter of the film is jarring, since you may be expecting subversive, horrifying comedy in the vein of 'American Psycho.'

The film concerns a young professional woman anticipating a hot date arranged online while not noticing other admirers caught in her orbit. That the predatory lothario is the film's first attempts at humor is part of the problem: Nicole's literally black-and-white life can't bloom into technicolor if she is too submerged in a black hole of routine and depression. But that's where the film's uneven tone starts to change, and not convincingly.

The black-and-white to color-film-stock changes signal different realities, but not consistently, though I don't wish to include spoilers here.

Tamika Shannon appears to be an actress to watch. Her monotone acting in the early scenes serves entirely to fulfill the script, which fails her, because her luminous moments late in the film show her true range. I look forward to seeing more from her.

But I also hope she'll find scripts that give us a chance to see her full potential and don't handcuff her into contrived plot moves.

This film is a neat piece of work. I like how it slowly builds up the tension until you find yourself literally sitting at the edge of your seat. The performances are very commendable and are really what drives this film. Use of colors is unique and adds to the quality of the film.

I found Nicole while browsing through some new releases on Amazon. The poster is striking and caught my attention, so I watched the trailer. The trailer actually gave me chills, so I dove right in. Nicole is an indie suspense/horror film about "a first date gone wrong." The movie is a bit of a slow-burn, in a good way, and has an arthouse vibe to it. There's actually some beautiful black and white cinematography in it too, which reminded me a bit of old films noir. I don't want to spoil too much about where the film goes, but I definitely found Nicole to be worthwhile entertainment.