Nico and Dani

Starring:Fernando Ramallo, Jordi Vilches, Marieta Orozco, Esther Nubiola, Chisco Amado, Ana Gracia, Myriam MÃ©ziÃ¨res, Muntsa AlcaÃ±iz, Mingo RÃ fols, Pau DurÃ , Eduardo GonzÃ¡lez (VI), Gaelle Poulavec, JesÃºs Garay, Eloi Yebra, Jordi SÃ¡nchez, MÃ²nica Glaenzel, Joel Joan
Director: Cesc Gay
Studio: New Yorker Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

In America, two boys at the beach with no parental supervision leads to dumb, artificial sex comedies; in Europe, the same material can turn into something genuine and sweet. In a small seaside town near Barcelona, Nico comes to visit his best friend Dani, whose parents are away for the summer. They have the typical male teenager obsessions with masturbation and girls--but Dani is just beginning to realize that he's more interested in Nico than the local girls they've been flirting with. The setup isn't unusual, but what is remarkable about Nico and Dani is the unforced naturalism of the acting and the way the story unfolds. All the young actors give simple but nuanced performances, capturing in detail the charming awkwardness of adolescence, with frank sex scenes that are more clumsy and hopeful than erotic. Winner of the Prix de Jeunesse award at Cannes. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Lovely coming-of-age film.......2007-01-09

I bought this film for its promise of sunshine, feel-good charm, adolescent awakening and a tolerant treatment of homosexuality, and that's just what I got. It is a hundred percent enjoyable film of one summer in the lives of two friends. It is very refreshing to see a Spanish treatment of sexuality that is frank, funny and open without being tasteless -- what a liberating contrast to they way these things appear in most Hollywood films. The film is based on a successful play, and this shows in the thoughtful script. The two main characters are a delight: I have rarely seen such an almost cringe-makingly true-to-my-owm-memories rendition of teenage awkwardness. At the same time, these boys are not riven by angst but fumble their way through to a happy self-acceptance.

A Prize Winner.......2006-12-21

"NICO AND DANI"

A Prize Winner

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"Nico and Dan" (New Yorker Films) is a beautiful story of two French young men who come of age in a subtle, humorous, compassionate and perceptive way. Set in a resort town on the Mediterranean Sea, the parents of 16 year old Dani have taken off knowing that their son's best friend and schoolmate, Nico, is on his way to stay with him while they are traveling. The boy are not left totally alone-the family cook is with them as is Dani's English tutor, who has her own vested interest in him as Dani wants to become a writer. In fact Dani has already begun writing a novel and is on his way to the university. Nico, on the other hand, is satisfied in becoming a mechanic.
Like most boys their age, the female of the species is a prize to be won and when the guys meet two girls running on the beach, their summer begins to look bright.
The basic theme of the film seems to me to be the differences between appearance and reality. Nico and Dani are both virgins and they have only experienced sexual release by helping each other out. Nico finds it entertaining but Dani is developing an emotional attachment for him that is not based just upon friendship and it becomes more and more difficult for him to mask his feelings. Dani is discovering that he is gay and he is worried how it will affect his friendship with Nico. Nico meanwhile is developing a feeling for one of the girls and they are having sex.
The two boys have reached a critical point in their lives as well as a moment of transition. The have no idea how to manage their rites of passage. The real importance of the film is the way it deals with how to tell your best friend of your feelings and the film has a great deal of sexual candor than American movies who deal with the same subject. It also has great sensitivity and is photographed almost as if it were to hang in an art gallery.
We see that adolescent years are not always the best as people seem to think, They are years filled with self-doubt, fears and experimentation. Hey are awkward years and are many times embarrassing and painful but they are a period we must all go through.
The main strength of the film is the way it observes the struggles of the boys without sermonizing about them and there is no moral at the end; loose ends are left for the viewer to tie together. It is simply a brief but intense look at the turning point in the lives of the boys and allows us to watch them explore themselves, their psyches, and each other.
This is far from a perfect movie but as a coming-of-age film it is excellent mainly because the movie is driven by the characters, two very likeable boys at the brink of manhood. It is a look into sexual confusion, something that many of us face. Some of the scenes are candid and highly sexual but they are necessary and are not lurid in any way. The two boys are good looking young men and ably fill the shoes the roles demand. This is a positive portrayal and the boys are never depicted as abnormal or outcast and indirectly the film asks its viewers to accept the normality of same-sex love.

Spanish coming-of-age film.......2006-11-26

"Nico and Dani" is a Spanish coming-of-age story involving two 17-year-old boys and their shifting relationship over the course of a summer holiday. When the film begins, Dani's parents depart for a holiday of their own leaving Dani (Fernando Ramallo) alone at a beach house with just the occasional company of the housekeeper and a tutor. Things begin to improve for Dani, however, when his best friend, Nico (Jordi Vilches) arrives. Nico and Dani are obsessed with sex, and Nico, who has the potential to grow into the role of an adult smooth-talking pick-up machine, has numerous theories about girls and sex. And he can't wait to try out those theories on another couple of young holidaymakers, Elena (Marieta Orozco) and Berta (Esther Nubiola).

While Nico concocts plans to spend time with the girls, Dani sometimes resents the inclusion of Elena and Berta in their plans. Dani expresses his opinion that he wants to spend time with Nico alone, and Nico--who's busily creating plans to seduce Elena--just doesn't understand that. But frustration and boredom await both Nico and Dani at every turn. Consequently, the boys begin a little experimentation on their own, and this leads to a sexual awakening and subsequent understated catharsis for both boys.

The film's emphasis is on the importance of guidance during these crucial adolescence years. While Nico leaps into male-female relationships with unswerving enthusiasm, Dani does not. The subject matter is treated with a certain amount of tenderness, but the humour factor never becomes trite. Serious undercurrents stress the responsibility of adults when it comes to the issue of sexual orientation, and while Dani's tutor subtly hints that homosexuality is acceptable, her gay friend, Julian (Chisco Amado) is ready to take it one step further. These are serious life-forming experiences taking place here, and the film never lets the viewer forget that for one moment. From director Cesc Gay, "Nico and Dani" is in Spanish with English subtitles--displacedhuman

Nostalgic Nico y Dani.......2005-09-29

I can't say that when I saw this movie for the first time I loved it. It was probably the 3rd time I saw it on cable, that I truly loved it. This film has so many aspects to it that really take me back to my adolescent years. And also having traveled to Spain back in High School, this brought back a lot of good memories. I loved it! It brought back my days of coming to terms with my sexuality but also just being a dumb adolescent male. The sex, the joints, the beach. Everything in this movie makes me smile. One scene that I love is toward the end, they are running in the mountains, there is an english song playing (If anyone knows how I can get a copy of the soundtrack please let me know). Nico y Dani just epitomizes my memories of that time. This movie is one of my favorite movies and I agree that I never get bored of watching it.

Just like summer it's ends all too soon.......2005-08-21

At the end, this movie is just like the summer, you'll find that you hate to see it go away. It's a movie about summer worth viewing all year round.

It is about what every good summer vacation is about: Everything and anything, but nothing specific. Just seeking to have as much fun as possible. Play, lust, love,... whatever. Maybe one or two things that later seem a bit reckless? Why not? So throw yourself into this film with the same reckless abandon, and just let it take you wherever it takes you. And don't worry, whatever these two guys do won't go on their permanent records!

Everyone can find some connection to this flick, whatever their age or sexuality. It's about a carefree time of life that seems almost too long while it lasts, and ever so fleeting and lost once it's gone away. A time when we are content to simply see how things play out and live them without undue concern for the outcomes nor any serious consequences for missteps along the way.

For teens, it's what every summer promises to be. For those is their twenties, it's what summers used to be just a short time ago. For everyone else, it's a salient recollection of what summers used to be, long ago.

Other good movies in this genre: "Come Undone" which I've reviewed on Amazon, and that review cites yet another good title.

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