Fingernails

Yes, I watched this solely because Jessie Buckley starred. But after the disappointing damp squibs of Saltburn and Maestro I needed a decent cinema fix. And I got it.

Don't get me wrong the story of testing love by burning torn-out fingernails is a tad silly, but Buckley and Ahmed manage to bring it to life. Buckley is excellent as Anna, a girl who can't make up her mind who she loves.

For me the story was that you can find what you think is love, until you realise that perhaps it's a deep comforting sameness that you're in love with. A ritualistic familiarity that makes you feel safe. The familiar face at the end of the sofa is symbolic of home and it takes a big wrench to realise that that face doesn't make you 'want' anymore.

Along comes a handsome prince and all is lost. Because love so often comes on the back of desire. Anna found that she desired someone that she didn't love, but does love grow from desire? Without desire you simply have a best friend. With desire you have what we mostly believe of as love.

It's a complicated tale with not any easy answer. But it made for interesting viewing and was thought provoking about how we love and desire.

If this story had been well written, I'd have liked the leads together very much. Sadly, it was not well written. I'm a scifi geek and I normally can suspend disbelief and don't care about the science, nor the premise, all that much. In this case, the way this story is written, a five year old child would question the test. I agree with other reviewers that the fact that none of the film's own characters question it strains the disbelief several steps too far, particularly considering how low tech this particular method of this trope is portrayed here. Since most of the characters appear miserable (agree with 'bleak world'), it's extremely depressing and drags on so badly. I cannot imagine a GOOD reason to watch this film. Further, if a large number of people watched it together, say in a theater, I would suggest putting the group on suicide watch.

Director Christos Nikou's previous movie "Apples" was pretty great as it's an interesting bizarre movie with some interesting directions and themes explored. Nikou's direction was solid as his directing helps to balance out certain tones and atmospheres. The camerawork, production designs and the setting is solid. The narrative is an interesting concept on the ideas of romance, science fiction, and connection and while the concept does have some interesting themes, unfortunately, the narrative felt lacking as it doesn't really take full advantage of the creativity it could take and explores concepts that weren't investing.

The performances from the cast members are great as Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson and everyone else all do a good job performing their roles. Including some pretty good dialogue between one another. But due to the lacking narrative, the characters weren't emotionally investing as the characters felt dull and uninteresting. There is some decent chemistry between the characters but they didn't feel strong or investing and the love triangle concept felt a bit forced. There are some styles and tones that felt too similar to Yorgos Lanthimos.

It's unfortunate cause this movie does have a good concept and cast but it unfortunately doesn't take full advantage of the creativity and felt lacking. Overall, it wasn't boring as there are some good concepts and performances but it feels like wasted potential.

Fingernails started out with a pretty good premise--check your love for each other by testing an entire (painfully-removed) fingernail.

Jeremy Allen White (Lip from SHAMELESS) sleep-walks through his part in this story (not his fault, however) playing the sad, but happy, spouse.

Jessie Buckley appears to have gone to a blind chimpanzee to have her hair glued up sideways, and it never got better. The bed-head surely distracted from her appearance and acting ability.

As the story painfully progressed to the predictable conclusion, you are left asking yourself "Why didn't I stay home and floss the cat?" or "If they'd just turn down the air conditioning I could take a 90-minute nap in this building".

The most interesting film I've watched this year, that's for sure. "Fingernails" is nothing you'd expect -- it's got this test on love (quite literally) that will make you bite your nails, and your fingers, and close your eyes in the moment. With an A24-coded story concept that is weirdly satirical, it's one that has a satisfying tale of romance, an exploration of uncertain feelings, and what it means to crave that feeling. Both Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed have the perfect dynamic on-screen that I just cannot get enough of. These two are some of the very few actors I utterly admire and respect and so seeing them together in this film was something I really enjoyed. Everything was beautiful and entertaining in a way that would lure you into its world; with a production design that is just mesmerizing, and a soundtrack that perfectly fits with the characters' emotions. A perfect grasp of the desire for what "love" really depicts, and a perfect character study on a flawed character who is unsure of her feelings, while putting all her fate on a love test.