Nacho Vigolado’s Daniela Forever is a sci-fi fantasy romance that takes audiences on a fantastical journey through the world’s toughest emotion: grief. Set in Madrid, Nicolás (Henry Golding), a DJ, is grieving over the loss of his artist girlfriend, Daniela (Beatrice Grannò). His world is depicted in a VHS-inspired aesthetic, characterized by washed-out colors and a 4:3 aspect ratio. His friend, Victoria (Nathalie Poza), tells him about a special therapy using a pill that allows one to experience a lucid dream to overcome their issues. She used this mystical therapy to cope with her divorce.
Simultaneously, he is trying to move on and date Teresa (Aura Garrido). After signing NDAs, Nicolás begins taking the pill. Once he enters the dream state, he experiences the past in a boldly colored, widescreen realm. The dream realm transforms Madrid into a unique environment where cinema and video games collide. Nicolás is able to spend time with Daniela again. His spirits are lifted now that she is back in his life. He also finds a way to break dream logic. Objects in his apartment are no longer static; day and night can change by simple hand movements, and conversations can be rewound. Cracks begin to show when he learns of Daniela’s previous relationship with Teresa, catching him off guard. Lucid dreaming quickly turns into a nightmare of internal instability. Can Nicolás overcome the death of his girlfriend through these lucid dream pills, or is the burden of grief too much?
“Can Nicolás overcome the death of his girlfriend through these lucid dream pills or is the burden of grief too much?”
Daniela Forever is quite an imaginative film. For lovers of fantasy, it plays with the language of cinema and video games brilliantly. The gray areas represent blocked-off spaces, much like those found in the confines of a digital environment. People’s conversations sometimes glitch. Cinematography techniques are subverted through the use of light and dark in an inverse manner. Set design takes unusual directions where windows become elevators. All of these elements work thanks to Jon D. Domínguez’s cinematography, Marta Llopis’ art direction, and Boris Kaufmann’s visual effects unit.
Vigolado’s story handles grief through a whimsical perspective and great respect for the audience’s intelligence. Through his creative uses of time and other dreamlike aspects, we can see Nicolás’ flaws. While many are familiar with Henry Golding’s breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians, his acting chops stand out here. We get to see him be charming and vulnerable. His performance feels visceral in the film’s third act.
For a film about grief, it’s a pleasurable viewing experience. One feels like they are on a lazy river when watching it. Daniela Forever carries the spirit of fantasy-romance films of the past, such as Powell and Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death. For those dreaming of escape, this film is for you!
"…quite an imaginative film."
