Two Ninas

I saw this film last year at the Gen Art Film Festival in NYC, where it won Audience Award. I just watched it a second time eleven months later on videotape, (a copy submitted to another festival, which inexplicably rejected it), and it holds up.

It has a few flaws: Amanda Peet's character is shunted aside too cavalierly in the third act; we never see these guys at the jobs they mention often; the lead character's novel being queried about by an agent goes nowhere, and an ending that ends flat, despite the enjoyable movie that leads up to it. But the pluses are many: great soundtrack, good NYC locations, no false notes, and a breezy pace.

Bray Poor, who I saw off Broadway in what I thought was an authentic Cockney accent, is simply great as the shallow NYC friend. Amanda Peet is very engaging here, which explains why I wanted to see more of her. And the lead actor is extremely good. Cara Buono was fine as the main Nina. (She's a hell of a writer. I've read her "Charmed Life" screenplay.)

All in all, an entertaining dead-on dating movie. Men and women will both like it. Where are the distributors?? Worse dreck has been in theaters. This played equally well in a theater with an audience, and at home on tape by myself. It deserves more of an audience.

Ron Livingston hasn't been in a relationship in some time. So when he finds himself dating two beautiful women - Cara Buono and Amanda Peet - who are both named Nina, it takes him some time to sort out his feelings.

Writer-director Neil Turitz first movie offers some insight to dating in New York in the 1990s as a sort of sexual battlefield, in which only one prisoner is taken, and for some reason, reminds me of the better known CHASING AMY... sexual obsession of nice guys causing them to act inappropriately perhaps. The script is a low-key deadpan comedy, and pretty good on those terms, but Turitz seems to lack confidence that the audience will sympathize with Livingston, so he has best friend Bray Poor pop up every ten minutes or so to explain the protagonist's confusion to some guy in a bar. Why this couldn't have been handled by having Livingston express his dilemma to Poor is beyond me.

There's precious little romance to be found in this romantic comedy which tells of a slump shouldered, self pitying, self deprecating wuss who dates two women both named Nina. How's that for creative? "Two Ninas" is an okay watch and a decent shoot with enough relationship issues to maintain interest all the way to it's fizzling conclusion. However, the film trades charm and heart for hip and cool as it presents its characters as one dimensional, self-centered, hard edged stereotypes. Recommended for anyone into the adult singles dating scene.

I watched this movie last evening and thought it was great. It reminds me a lot of the 80's romantic comedy "About Last Night." Ron Livingston is great as usual. I loved the story, the characters - EVERYTHING!

Great job folks on making a movie that I could enjoy without drowning in tears or laughing to the point of vomiting. It was a great balance!

First off, a big thank you to all the people who have voted for and/or reviewed this film.

I wanted to buy a film I had not seen on DVD. I went to my local HMV and selected a long list of titles I knew little or nothing about. Two Nina's had the most impressive voting breakdown, as of today, noone voted below 4, and the curve of votes is highest at 10, exponentially down to 4.

So I went and bought it. I watched it, I loved it. The only member of cast that was familiar was the lead actor, whom I saw in Office Space, which I enjoyed.

Two Ninas is a romantic comedy. One of the best you will come across. Guy meets two girls falls for both and the film, together with some smart scripting and simple direction, completely involves you in the characters involved the pathos and vitality of the situation.

Personally I think he made the wrong choice. Choose the girl with the similar interests and full of pent up frustration, or choose the girl with the common attitude of not being 100% sure what she wants from the relationship, and is helping it to its natural conclusion...

I think in a burgeoning relationship, both sides should not try to force the issue.

The point is the film creates these kind of talking points, and a film that does that is a film worth seeing again, and again....

I gave it a nine out of ten. It lost the one point because I wanted to see more. A follow up called two Ninas two??? Works for me!!!