Customer Reviews

Nina Takes a Lover [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Feeling this storyline, hearing the rain as if it were outside my window and having my heart race according to the beat of each character's affairs was as lush and satisfying as it gets for me, an avid, observant film lover. Any book, song or movie that makes me cry a good deep from the heart sob is "A-OK" in my book. I LOOOOOVE this movie. It captures the city, the characters and an artsy, cool quirkiness and works it all to delicious advantage. The story is about a married woman, Nina telling the background, circumstances and resultant residues of an affair that shook her married life to a gentle, curious interviewer with time to listen and questions to softly ask toward healing and understanding. Why, how, who and for how long are the questions that subtly beg to be unfolded along the way. The acting is easy and down to earth. You feel like maybe you're watching the characters from across the store, from the booth next door or from the other side of the park. The surprising ending will hit you in the gut if you are a romantic. The realism found in the relationships was what made this one of my top ten of all time favorites. Laura San Giacomo is a nuanced genius in love stories and I wanted what she had by the end of the movie. I can't tell what that is because it'll ruin it for those of you who haven't viewed it yet. For those who have, it is all we could hope for in all it's sordid abandon. I think. (sigh)

This is a very little known movie. Nina takes a lover is a "thinking" movie. It is one of my all time favorites. If you have ever been married or especially divorced this is a must see.

This is a hard one for me to review. On one hand I like the "surprise" ending because it was a surprise . . . at least to me. (Interestingly enough, my wife surmised the ending as the plot unfolded. Hmmm?) On the other hand it left me kind of flat. "Surprise-ending" movies are usually GREAT because there are so many tired storylines to have to live through. But, once the "surprise" was revealed I kind of felt, not quite cheated, but I didn't get full satisfaction either. It was like, "big whoop", I'm not sure I really care.

The movie has its charm because it feels very intimate; all nice cozy. The acting is pretty good and keeps the viewer interested throughout the piece. But . . . then again there is that "but" for me. It's all OK , but I just didn't get the payoff I felt this movie was leading up too. Maybe it's the "guy-thing" in me that just isn't getting it? I think there's something in there that I must be missing? There are a lot of good things about this picture so on that I rate it 3 stars. But . . .

If you read the plot of "Nina Takes a Lover" written up as if in a divorce court filing, you'd yawn and think, "Great, another sordid story about infidelity."

But "Nina Takes a Lover" is a lot more than that grubby story. It's actually a rather touching and affecting --and erotic-- love story between Nina (played by the wonderful Laura San Giacomo) and her unnamed lover (played by Paul Rhys). It also has some humor, a wonderful score, and some strikingly beautiful images and scenes.

<spoilers>

The storyline is simple. Nina is a lonely woman whose husband is always away on business. She suspects but doesn't know for sure that he's cheating on her. We see her in the park innocently flirting with what the movie leads us to think is a handsome stranger, a British (actually Welsh) photographer (Rhys's character). Nina's flirting with this man (only listed in the credits as "photographer") rapidly escalates to what appears to be a full fledged, passionate, and illicit affair. Their relationship hits a crisis when her lover admits to several other affairs. And here we get "the twist." Nina's lover is actually her husband! It seems like they were both just engaged in a bit of romantic role playing.

The story ends beautifully. We last see Nina and her lover and husband dancing in the moonlight on top of her building. I'd like to think that Nina and her husband surmounted their difficulties and lived happily ever after.

That's about it...It's a testament to Laura San Giacomo (who I have always liked a great deal) and Paul Rhys that they really seem to have chemistry and appear to truly care for each other. And that's why I like it so much. I just can't figure out why I didn't realize when I saw it the first time that they were actually married to each other and just playing a game. I guess I might have been too hypnotized by San Giacomo (who I find extremely attractive).

In the early part of this film, Nina (Laura San Giacomo) tries to attract the attention of a handsome young man in a leather jacket. She bites down loudly (cue sound effect) on an amazingly fresh, crunchy, meaty apple.

As opposed to this film, which, in apple terms, has blotchy tone, a mealy taste, and a sickeningly mushy interior. Not quite rotten to the core, enjoyable if you're really craving an apple.

So, the good: Christi Conaway and Fisher Stevens are amusing in secondary roles. There are some amusing scenes, and there is a kind-of surprising twist towards the end.

Kind of good, kind of bad: Laura San Giacomo, who wields her galactically expressive face like a blunt axe, sometimes hits her scenes perfectly, and other times indiscriminately pauses for annoying effect. Paul Rhys, who prior to this played "The Responsible Brother of Insanely Talented Men" (Vincent & Theo, Chaplin), is supposed to be handsome and mysterious, but he often seems to be overacting his underacting.

Bad, bad, bad: The framing device of the journalist interviewing the characters of this story for their take on infidelity. Also bad -- the setting, the lame conclusion of the panty-swiping gag, and some really badly written "serious" dialogue.

Recommended for Laura San Giacomo fetishists, or people that really want to see a relationship drama, but have run out of other options.

Not only the beautiful imagery and the thrill of a realistic love story, the best thing I found in this film was the shocking ending. Throughout the entire film I had no idea what this all was leading up to. If for nothing else see this movie to find out the hidden twist in the plot!

NINA TAKES A LOVER IS BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL, CREATIVE AND UNIQUE INDEPENDENT/LOW BUDGET FILMS I HAVE EVERE SEEN. I FIRST SAW THIS FILM IN MEXICO WHERE IT WAS SUBTILTLED AND ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH ITS INTENSE CHARACTERS AND REALISTIC JUXTAPOSITIONS BETWEEN THE CHEATING PARTNER AND THE DRIFTING HEART. LAURA SAN GIACOMO IS AT HER ARTISTIC BEST AND THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF CHRISTI CONNAWAY AND FISHER STEVENS IS HILARIOUSLY TOUCHING(THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ME IN EVERY CUP!). INDEPENDENT FILMS, SUCH AS THIS, COMPOSE THE UNDERGROUND WORLD OF SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL-TYPE MASTERPIECES. I'VE READ CERTAIN CRITICAL REVIEWS ON THIS FILM BY CRITICS WHO HAVE NO APPRECIATION FOR AN OUT-OF-THE-ORIDNARY , NON-BLOCKBUSTER MINDLESS HIT. I GUARANTEE YOU, THE ENDING TWIST OF THIS FILM IS A REFRESHING, FELLINIESQUE SHOCK. BESIDES EVERYTIME I RENT IT I GET A CERTAIN WARM FEELING THAT DOES COME IN TODAYS MINDLESS "MOVIES". ALSO WHOEVER COMPOSED THE MUSIC IN THE FILM IS FANTASTIC-I WISH THERE WAS A SOUNDTRACK!

I have'nt viewed this movie as of yet. I'm a big fan of Laura San Giacomo.I watch her on the show just shoot me. I also have the movie "The Stand",even though it was a small part in this movie I thought she was great in The Stand.I also have another movie that I thought Laura was wonderful in "Quigly Down Under". Before I saw Laura On tv I only knew her from a few movies.The movie "Nina Takes A Lover" I only just found out about I don't know to much about this movie other then what I have read on the internet. I have tried to order this movie but for some reason they told me they can't get it is this movie out of print i asked they could'nt give me a answer. so I thought that i would try the internet.I'm glad that I did.If this movie is as good as The Stand and Quigly Down Under I'm sure I'll enjoy this movie also.
Thanks,A Fan Of Laura San Giacomo