Two Ninas

I saw this film last night at the Chicago Alt.film Fest, and I have to say I thought it was one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long time. The plot was interesting, the characters were all very real people (for a change) and you can't help but really like everyone in the film. I greatly enjoyed it. If you get a chance to see it, I recommend it highly.

Ron Livingston hasn't been in a relationship in some time. So when he finds himself dating two beautiful women - Cara Buono and Amanda Peet - who are both named Nina, it takes him some time to sort out his feelings.

Writer-director Neil Turitz first movie offers some insight to dating in New York in the 1990s as a sort of sexual battlefield, in which only one prisoner is taken, and for some reason, reminds me of the better known CHASING AMY... sexual obsession of nice guys causing them to act inappropriately perhaps. The script is a low-key deadpan comedy, and pretty good on those terms, but Turitz seems to lack confidence that the audience will sympathize with Livingston, so he has best friend Bray Poor pop up every ten minutes or so to explain the protagonist's confusion to some guy in a bar. Why this couldn't have been handled by having Livingston express his dilemma to Poor is beyond me.

My bias is not to expect a "finished product" from a first time film-maker, but this is a real surprise. It is well scripted, well cast and acted, with excellent cinematography and editing- it's tight and concise, without wasted screentime, and the storyline should delight any viewer. Not a "big" film, not a "blockbuster," but, rather, a truly wonderful entertainment, that moves this viewer to want to come back for more.

I watched this movie last evening and thought it was great. It reminds me a lot of the 80's romantic comedy "About Last Night." Ron Livingston is great as usual. I loved the story, the characters - EVERYTHING!

Great job folks on making a movie that I could enjoy without drowning in tears or laughing to the point of vomiting. It was a great balance!

The plot in Two Ninas doesn't break any new ground, in fact it's pretty unoriginal and predictable, but it's not the plot that pulls you in. The likeable characters that Ron Livingston and Nina Buono portray, along with very memorable writing that resembles "Swingers" and "Office Space" make it a great watch. Ron Livingston's parts just keep getting better (the slouch-shouldered, down-on-his-luck, lonely twenty-something); and who is this Nina Buono? So brew some coffee, get some smokes, and watch this movie while you drown in your own self-pity.