Mark Reviews Movies: ALL ABOUT NINA

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Review by Mark Dujsik | September 27, 2018

There's an extended scene of an all-night conversation in All About Nina that's incredibly refreshing. It's between a woman and a man, and while we know it's almost inevitable that the talk will lead to sex and perhaps a romantic relationship, that knowledge is almost irrelevant in the moment. In the moment, it's entirely about the discussion—about their respective pasts, their hopes, their hesitations, their insecurities, and, well, just about each of them in general.

Here's a film that actually cares about its characters to such a degree that it allows them a long time to talk, to get to know each other, and to let us see how at least one of those characters isn't being entirely honest about certain subjects. The misinformation is as important as the truth in this case, since Nina Geld (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an up-and-coming standup comic, has some serious issues with love, intimacy, and, yes, honesty.

She has a reputation for being brash and direct in her standup routine, openly discussing her sex life and other things that could make people uncomfortable. From almost the start of her story, though, we know she's holding back on what she could be saying on stage. After waking up in the morning, after an awkward encounter the previous night (between a man she takes home to her apartment and the married man with whom she's having an affair), Nina practices a long bit about how she met the married man, a cop named Joe (Chace Crawford).

It's not really a joke, since it involves the rape of her friend, but it tells us more about her than some routines about one-night stands or menstrual cycles do. It's little wonder that part of her custom when performing is to vomit immediately after back stage. It's not just nerves. It's being honest in front of a crowd of people, while knowing, deep down, that the honesty is a front for what she really wants to say.

As the title tells us, the film really is all about Nina and all of her insecurities, her strengths, her secrets, and her desire to be more than some shock comedienne—especially when there are more pressing things that need to be said. It's both familiar, in terms of its story of professional climbing and behind-the-scenes romance, and almost subversive in the way writer/director Eva Vives uses that familiarity to take on issues of contemporary sexism and gender double standards in the industry, as well as abuse and trauma. It also features an impressive performance from Winstead, as a woman grappling with just how honest she's prepared to be on stage and in life—knowing that both of those are uncomfortably connected.

Nina begins in New York City, where she plays smaller clubs to packed houses and plenty of laughs. Her goal is get on a sketch-comedy television show based in Los Angeles, so she says good-bye to her worrying mother (played by Camryn Manheim) and good riddance to the abusive Joe. Her supportive agent Carrie (Angelique Cabral) has set up Nina with an audition and a place to stay—with the agent's eccentric but caring friend Lake (Kate del Castillo).

The eventual love interest is Rafe (Common), a divorced, 42-year-old construction contractor who admires the decade-younger Nina's attitude. There are some early complications, mostly involving Rafe's habit of getting involved with and leaving younger women, but eventually, the two have that late-night talk. Everything else fades for them, and for us, we're treated to a scene that actually lets us know about these two without any external pressures or obstacles.

We believe Rafe when he says he wants more than just a string of flings (Common has a natural way of charming with sincerity here), and we really believe Nina when she says that she's not sure if she's ready for something like that. They give it a try, though, and their relationship is alternately sweet and a struggle. There's too much going on in Nina's life and inside her head for this to be simple, and Vives offers no fantasies that the love of a decent man is going to solve everything for Nina—especially a man who has his own issues with which to deal. There's a level of authenticity in how the bond between the two is constantly left hanging—not because of some external problem but because of how they can't quite understand each other in some significant way.

The other side of the story follows Nina's path toward potential TV stardom, with an audition (showing off Winstead's comedic chops, as well as those of other performers) and some industry gossip that seems unnecessarily cruel. She gets the job, but that's almost a given. What keeps the story from becoming routine, though, is Nina's unexpected, nearly self-destructive reaction to the news. She has a lot to say, and with everything but feeling like she has nothing to lose, she takes to stage again to say all of it.

It's a staggering scene, performed by Winstead with bold assuredness and vulnerability. The aftermath is almost as trying, with the gossip mill turning and the show's creator (played by Beau Bridges) getting cold feet about his latest hire.

What's intriguing here is that Vives sets up all of this potential success or strife for Nina, but in the end, none of it really matters in the bigger picture. All About Nina is, after all, a character study first and foremost. The size of the stage is irrelevant. The important question—the answer to which evolves considerably by the end—is why she stands on it.

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