Be prepared for a solitary blow to the gut and one that is merciless as Nacho Vigalondo’s Daniela Forever gives a raw account of grief that is beautifully told.
The Spanish writer and director in this latest outing dives into the darker side of life in a film as much about love and the trauma that follows when we lose someone.
And it does this in a compelling way in the idyllic setting of Madrid.
At the centre of this hard-hitting story is Henry Holding’s Nicholas who takes part in a clinical trial of a drug that allows lucid dreams he is able to fully control in order to cope with the death of his girlfriend, Daniela (Beatrice Grannò).
While the dream sequences explore a love through a rose-tinted lens it is far more than a nostalgia trip and rather boldly ventures into some darker ideas of control within a relationship.
It plays with the dream reality setting well and there is some light comic relief. Brief moments of silliness lift the tone of Daniela Forever that momentarily take it out of the true brutal nature of its reality. It’s weird and quirky but never loses the devastating grief that underpins it all. Those moments of joy inevitably pivot back to the reality of the trauma of loss.
Some of those dream sequences don’t quite look wholly realised and detract somewhat from a number of scenes.
What is fascinating is the distinction of reality and the dream world as Vigalondo uses a square, box-like, frame to firmly cement it is the real world. Though present day that framing has the aesthetics of a 90s video camera. It’s unfiltered and a skilful manoeuvre that makes you feel more connected to these characters.
There is something disarming about it, like there is no lens and we are getting a deeper insight and Golding is tremendous in taking us there with him where his character spirals. We have in contrast Beatrice Grannò who adopts a sort of Groundhog Day-like role as she is reacting to completely new events at various times.
The dynamic between the two is riveting and Grannò has this vulnerability in her performance that really gives Daniela Forever the emotional impact it is going for. There are shades of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in its exploration of loss and acceptance that will leave you feeling battered and bruised.
2025 Glasgow Film Festival – Tickets for films and full programme available here.
