ALL ABOUT NINA | Review – Tribeca Film Festival 2018

I’ve said it over and over, and I think I’ll say it again… Mary Elizabeth Winstead is one of Hollywood’s most underrated actresses. This woman always kills it! Talented, smart, charismatic, and lastly… Gorgeous! I cannot believe her body of work (10 Cloverfield Lane, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Smashed, TV’s Fargo) hasn’t made a lot more noise. I mean, it has to a degree. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be working, but I’ve been waiting for that solid, in-your-fuckin’-face role that places the spotlight on her. I think I finally saw it.

All About Nina – a Narrative Competition title at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival – is a magical, roller-coaster film that exposes Winstead in the role of Nina Geld. An up-and-coming NYC stand-up comedian who’s funny, smart and has worked extremely hard at crafting her career in a mostly male dominated world. As swift, savvy, and confident as she is on stage, off stage is a whole other story. One that entails lifestyle insecurities and dilemmas due to shaky romances, self-awareness, and an overall scope on what it means to be a totally, liberated woman in today’s society. 

With a well-rounded cast that includes Common, Chace Crawford, and Kate del Castillo to keep Winstead’s Nina going, Winstead outshines everyone. Giving us everything from comedy to drama and whatever falls in-between, the narrative exposes a complex individual whose form of survival is through the art of comedy. And it’s true, behind every comic, there’s a tortured soul. The arc in which Winstead works it for Nina turns out to be a memorable experience. A fierce performance that engages from start to finish. All About Nina is a bold film with a lot to digest. It packs a hard punch. One that bruises your soul. It’s brutal, but beautiful. It’s dark, but enlightening. It’s harsh, but charming…. In short, it’s all about Nina!

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Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common, Chace Crawford, Clea DuVall, Kate del Castillo, Beau Bridges

Directed by: Eva Vives

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Female Director(s), NY Director(s), Latino Director(s), First Time Filmmaker, Female Screenwriter(s)

© 2018 TFF 2018

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