DANIELLA FOREVER

Spain, Belgium | 2024 | 113m | English

Cast: Henry Golding, Beatrice Grannò, Aura Garrido, Nathalie Poza

Director(s): Nacho Vigalondo

We meet Nick (Henry Golding) in Madrid, adrift in a deep-seated malaise over the sudden death of his lover Daniela (Beatrice Grannò). A concerned friend enrolls him in a clinical trial for a drug that imbues its participants with totally lucid dreams — in an effort to sublimate his woe — and the experiment goes awry when Nick fails to adhere to the prescription. With his newfound ability to control his dreams, he sets out to rebuild his relationship with Daniela in an idealized fantasy of his own design.

Articulating Nick’s fog of depression by shooting the “real world” in affectless digital video and a boxy ratio, Vigalondo delightfully distinguishes Nick’s dreams by expanding their frames to vibrant high-definition cinemascope, with their subjects surreally bathed in a warm glow of Mediterranean sunlight, no matter the time of day. But while these dreams are at first limited to the boundaries of Nick’s own memories, with Daniela appearing as a mere palimpsest of the woman Nick loved, the verisimilitude of this realm enriches with each slumber, and Daniela begins to exhibit a gradual, disquieting autonomy that raises thorny ethical implications.

Courtesy of TIFF

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: KURT MORRISON

DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

RATING: 4 out of 5

Director Nacho Vigalondo is back after an eight year feature film directing hiatus to bring us a psychedelic exploration of the subconscious and grief, weaving a beautifully crafted story about losing a loved one and the lengths any of us would go for another chance at time with them.

Starring Henry Golding as Nicholas, a Madrid based DJ who meets Daniela, played by Beatrice Granno, the film starts out with a sensual yet sizzling 5 minute montage of how Nicholas and Daniela meet one night at a club, and right from the start, their chemistry is undeniable - which makes it all the more heartbreaking when we find out that Nicholas has slipped into a deep state of depression after Daniela unexpectedly dies. It plants the seeds very early on for us to see how much Nicholas loved her, setting the stage for what I could call a trippy yet poignant exploration of that love.

As time has gone by, Nicholas is not doing well - clearly suffering from depression, and no longer involved in the Madrid music scene like he once was. Recognizing this, his dear friend Victoria calls him one day and explains that there is a clinical trial of a new medication she used following her divorce, which acts as a ‘sleep aid’. Reluctant and curious, Nicholas agrees to meet with the doctors Victoria has previously worked with and this is where the film really takes off.

With shades of 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, even slightly paying homage to Christopher Nolan’s Inception, Nacho Vigalondo has an idea of where he wants to go with the story - and uses the loose template of those two films to mold his own exploration of not only an individual's dreamscape, but the idea that pharmacological lucid dreaming can be a step in evolving psychiatric therapy. The concept is so brilliant and really blossoms beautifully over the film's two hour runtime.

And thanks to such a universal concept - seeing our loved ones in our dreams - I think this film can speak to anyone watching it. I found myself incredibly invested in the story, as Golding’s Nicholas begins to understand the capabilities he has while asleep and how he can not only once again see his beloved Daniela but also create a whole other life with her in this dream world.

Vigalondo explores the streets of Madrid with such a beautiful eye, using them as storytelling pieces, as Nicholas begins to realize there are places in his dream world he cannot access until he actually goes there in the real physical world. Think of it as subconsciously mapping. This also opens the door to a unique twist in the story, as we begin to find this subconscious Daniela exploring that same world, and making decisions and creating relationships that once were reality for her actual self.

The film uses a unique way of separating both real world and dream world, as Nicholas’ depressed state is shown in a 420p, almost VHS like style quality - utilizing a 4:3 aspect ratio, which shrinks down the entirety of not only the movie, but the idea of the world he is living in. It’s a brilliant metaphorical tool to represent the depressed cloud he is living in. While after Nicholas has taken his medication and entered his dream world, the colors of his apartment and the city of Madrid pop off the screen, expanding our view of the film to theatrical 16:9, in full beautiful HD. Again, it’s nothing groundbreaking but it was a really effective storytelling tactic that I loved.

Daniela Forever was an absolute blast, with some really good laughs along with some heartfelt surprises. It captures grief in such a tender way that it makes sure not to belittle it, but help us understand that it is a journey that we all go through at some point in our lives. I really hope a lot of people get to see this over the course of the film festival, and wherever it may land in terms of release because it is a damn good movie.