Review of Nico and Dani

Nico and Dani (2000)
10/10
Delightful coming of age film
15 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is for every gay man or lesbian who had a crush on their best friend, but could do nothing about it. This is a delightful exploration of the sexual awakening of two friends who come to radically different conclusions, and yet still manage to be there for each other.

Dani (Fernando Ramallo) is left alone at his family's beach house for the summer. While there, he is tutored by Sonia (Ana Garcia), a surprisingly astute young woman. He invites his best friend, Nico (Jordi Vilches), to come stay with him for awhile. As the two have grown and become more sexually aware, they have resorted to the "krampack" to relieve their sexual frustrations in the absence of girls to sleep with. Dani is perfectly happy with this arrangement, and indeed is looking forward to continuing it with Nico. Nico, on the other hand, is looking forward to moving on to experiences with girls. So, when he meets Berta (Esther Nubiola), who is just as interested in him as he is in her, he is delighted. And being a good friend, he tries to set Dani up with Berta's friend, Elena (Marieta Orozco). Dani, however would prefer to be with Nico. To further complicate things, Dani strikes up a friendship with Julian (Chisco Amado), a handsome young writer in town for the summer to whom he is mutually attracted, although both are a little uncomfortable about Dani's youth. Through affairs, misunderstandings, and a disastrous dinner party, the story moves along to an inevitable, yet satisfying conclusion.

This is a nicely handled story. There is little judgment passed on the characters' sexualities, as what seems to be important is self acceptance. It is also nice to see that Nico and Dani remain true to their friendship, despite the fact that their desires are quite different. Conflicts are handled and resolved in a believable way.

The acting is delightful. Amado and Garcia do a nice job as the older and wiser adults, who still struggle with issues of their own. Orozco plays the shy adolescent to perfection, and contrasts nicely with Nubiola's more confident and beautiful young woman. Likewise Vilches and Ramallo contrast nicely with each other, and yet still portray a believable friendship.

All in all, an excellent portrayal of adolescent sexual discovery in all its myriad forms. A movie well worth seeing.
7 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed