Fingernails (2023)

 

Genre: Sci-Fi/ Romance

Time: 1h 53mins

Director: Christos Nikou

Quick Summary: Anna and Ryan have found true love, and it's proven by a controversial new technology. There's just one problem, as Anna still isn't sure. Then she takes a position at a love testing institute and meets Amir.

Prepare yourself as this is a slow film.

If you've ever been in love, like true deep love, I think you'll enjoy this more than most. It's painful and deep-rooted in you, like ripping out a fingernail. It comes with plenty of risks, there is always that unsure part of you that will say "Is this right?" This is where "The Machine" comes in to help prove if two people work together, get rid of that risk and give more time to find the right one. It hangs on the universal need for validation, especially in this current generation, and gives proof. But does it actually mean it's true? What happens when people change? Carefully it weaves in the doubts and questions that would arise in a world like this.

 I do wish they explained more of the science behind this, two people ripping out their fingernails to test their love because honestly, it was kind of interesting to see this whole reality built around it to the point they need official documentation to prove it. But that is only the surface of this film. It is something to think about instead of a quirky romance story. 

Jessie Buckley, my love, is absolutely wonderful in this as she always is. She delivered such an emotional and layered performance, even if I'm a bit biased, and I really felt for her as her character struggled through all these complicated emotions. Jeremy Allen White and Riz Ahmed I felt like they both performed incredibly well, but they sadly didn't have much to their characters so they were pretty boring. Some moments, I did wonder how Buckley and White's characters originally ended up together as they clearly didn't match. 

Admittedly, the generally solid pacing could have used some tweaking in a few sequences, and the ending could have been a little more developed, but my overall enjoyment of the film isn't affected by it. Also, I was a little bit unsure about this trying to validate cheating. Sure. Relationships are complicated and feelings can change over time, but that doesn't mean you should cheat in any way.

At the same time, it was sweet to watch Buckley and Ahmed's characters slowly gain feelings for each other, longing for any small moment between themselves, and having fun together. At the same time, it was so destroying to watch her and her actual partner's relationship crumble to pieces slowly. I think it was pretty interesting to watch someone who still loves their partner but knows it isn't working. Shame this didn't portray this in the greatest way. It gets a little bit muddled up in parts, especially the ending. 

Moving on to the score, I loved it. Full of love songs of all sorts, and some well-known ones that have been changed to their French versions. How this was shot is absolutely beautiful, all the characters are framed in such stunning shots, being literally framed by the environment around them. As well as their aesthetic, is sort of a mix of 70's and 2020, which honestly really worked for me. Especially since it has the grain of 35mm film which to me, makes it so much cooler. 

This film has a good handful of problems to it, but I still think this is worth a watch. Mixing symbolism with practicality gives a lot to think about. Even though this isn't brilliant production-wise, this has been a favourite watch of mine this year. 

7/10


"Nice. And how did it feel? I mean, when you got your results?

Yeah, I think more than anything it felt kind of like a relief. You know, it was like a weight had been lifted."


"The truth is, we're all achingly lonely. And we're endlessly searching for ways to fill that void."


"Sometimes being in love is lonelier than being alone."


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