Two Ninas (1999) User Reviews

Chasing Ninas

[boblipton · 6/10 · 26 February 2020]

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.

The good and the bad

[asc85 · 7/10 · 2 October 2022]

It's 2022, and I have been watching "Never Have I Ever" on Netflix, and one of the key plot lines in this series is something that was explored on "Two Ninas" - Who should you be with...the reasonably attractive person who you connect with on so many levels, or the super-attractive person who is kind and adores you, but you don't have all that much in common?

We obviously all know the logical answer to this, but love and relationships is not all logic. The scene where Ron Livingston is talking to his friend about why he can't break up with Nina/Amanda Peet is so well written. The thrill of going somewhere and walking in with the best looking woman in the room...the fact that someone that good-looking wants to be with you can be very, very intoxicating.

The problem with this movie was in the casting. Amanda Peet is very attractive, and more attractive than Cara Buono, but Cara Buono is quite attractive herself. I am of course being subjective here, but the difference in their beauty isn't that great, so that detracts from the dilemma he has. Had they cast someone less attractive in the Cara Buono part, or cast someone more attractive in the Amanda Peet part, I think that would have made the film much stronger.

Still, it was definitely something worth watching and I was glad I caught it.

Neo-mediocrity

[=G= · 6/10 · 24 January 2002]

There's precious little romance to be found in this romantic comedy which tells of a slump shouldered, self pitying, self deprecating wuss who dates two women both named Nina. How's that for creative? "Two Ninas" is an okay watch and a decent shoot with enough relationship issues to maintain interest all the way to it's fizzling conclusion. However, the film trades charm and heart for hip and cool as it presents its characters as one dimensional, self-centered, hard edged stereotypes. Recommended for anyone into the adult singles dating scene.

LOVED IT!

[scclay74 · 2 November 2003]

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!

Fine but left me cold

[Indiefilm1 · 7/10 · 8 May 2021]

The ending ruined it for me. She should have not taken him back. He had a chance to have the "I'm seeing other people" talk early on avoiding it having to be a all or nothing approach. His character isn't emotionally mature enough to have that conversation. His character would have probably gone with Nina #2 if the other Nina didn't take him back. So what if she wasn't into your book, she was upbeat and didn't make him go through a bunch of tests.

DARES NOT TO BE DIFFERENT.

[rsoonsa · 5/10 · 21 October 2004]

One wishes to like this film, to find in it that which will it make it recommendable, low budget underdog independent production that it is, led by a first-time director, having a colourful urban setting with an emphasis upon romantic relationships, and an attractive young cast; however, a drastic flaw in the writing quickly casts doubt upon its having a chance to rise above mediocrity. The core of its story consists of the experiences of Marty (Ron Livingston), a would-be novelist living in Manhattan, expatriate from Maine, struggling ineffectively with the familiar conundrum of young men seeking amorous satisfaction until he, within the space of a few days, discovers that two attractive young women, each named Nina, are smitten with him, and he therefore must face an inevitable decision to select one of them, thereby abandoning the second, all while assuring that the liaisons will not converge to his total loss of romance. From his roost upon a bar stool, Marty's best friend Dave (Bray Poor), performs as Chorus, face to the camera, to describe his pal's adventures in love, along with his own, with events moving to a somewhat predictable climax hastened by Marty's carelessness in not keeping his lovers separate. The mentioned shortcoming in the writing is a penchant of tyro scriptor/director Neil Turwitz to have each of his characters speak in the same manner, as dialogue for all is distinguished by consistent syntax, vocabulary, and rhythm, whether man or woman, and only the skill of Poor (who gains acting honours in this piece) in maintaining his precision of timing, and natural actress Cara Buono as one of the Ninas, somewhat leavens an otherwise monochromic script. An overly naturalistic tenor in the screenplay frequently grates upon one's sensibilities, but a decision to prevent some flubs from winding up on the cutting room floor works well enough, although those components of post-production that require dubbing and mixing are often errant, in line with generally woeful D.J. selection that comprises most of the scoring for a film that sinks from its shallowness.

Well put together technically - a delight!

[invinoveritas1 · 9/10 · 6 June 2000]

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.

one star for each nina

[rant · 2/10 · 10 May 2003]

i'm being generous giving this movie 2 stars. the line about "have you even seen the wizard of oz" was the best part for me! with terrible writing and acting like displayed in this movie it's no wonder so many are taken in by worthless tv reality shows. do yourself a favor and get out of the house and hit a royals baseball game, your gonna be glad ya did!

Imdb recommends....

[andertonmark · 9/10 · 1 November 2001]

First off, a big thank you to all the people who have voted for and/or reviewed this film.

I wanted to buy a film I had not seen on DVD. I went to my local HMV and selected a long list of titles I knew little or nothing about. Two Nina's had the most impressive voting breakdown, as of today, noone voted below 4, and the curve of votes is highest at 10, exponentially down to 4.

So I went and bought it. I watched it, I loved it. The only member of cast that was familiar was the lead actor, whom I saw in Office Space, which I enjoyed.

Two Ninas is a romantic comedy. One of the best you will come across. Guy meets two girls falls for both and the film, together with some smart scripting and simple direction, completely involves you in the characters involved the pathos and vitality of the situation.

Personally I think he made the wrong choice. Choose the girl with the similar interests and full of pent up frustration, or choose the girl with the common attitude of not being 100% sure what she wants from the relationship, and is helping it to its natural conclusion...

I think in a burgeoning relationship, both sides should not try to force the issue.

The point is the film creates these kind of talking points, and a film that does that is a film worth seeing again, and again....

I gave it a nine out of ten. It lost the one point because I wanted to see more. A follow up called two Ninas two??? Works for me!!!

Despicable ending

[myunrestricted · 1/10 · 17 August 2005]

This was a cute movie until the ending. The ending was merely one more despicable effort to emasculate men and empower women at their expense. The girl refused to listen to reason and logic and used her passive/aggressive nature to control and impose her will on the guy who ultimately yielded his power and control over the relationship to her. It is not by chance that she was sitting behind the driver's wheel in the car as they drove away at the end after he had to beg her and plead with her to take him back. This movie is a victory for all women who think they should be in charge of all men and in control of their relationships with them. It was a despicable movie for that reason.

A Very True To Life Movie

[ibanez8181 · 19 January 2003]

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.

Too cynical for me

[je-remy · 5/10 · 12 February 2014]

High ratings... I guess if your values can flex in this make-believe world to overlook the two timing. For me, the stumbling-into-two-relationships thing didn't work. More cynical than a stumble - that duration of deceit. If it was less prolonged. If he maybe made a decision before he decided which one to sleep with. That would have made a stronger movie IMO. The character would have remained sympathetic and I'd be empathising with the dilemma.

Instead I'm thinking... he's sleeping with two women - and well, that's bad. I mean... it is... despite the lame (and shouted) excuses the movie thinks are enough.

I knew the car was coming back at the end - very predictable. Maybe people are thinking happy ever after. I'm thinking rocky road to a break. A relationship damaged already. He's a cynical piece of work. And she's a doormat.

The movie is worth a few points for being thought provoking. But it fails at the most basic level - I wasn't rooting for them to get together at the end - I just didn't care.

A very good romantic comedy, with fine performances.

[nhpbob · 8/10 · 24 March 2000]

I saw this film last year at the Gen Art Film Festival in NYC, where it won Audience Award. I just watched it a second time eleven months later on videotape, (a copy submitted to another festival, which inexplicably rejected it), and it holds up.

It has a few flaws: Amanda Peet's character is shunted aside too cavalierly in the third act; we never see these guys at the jobs they mention often; the lead character's novel being queried about by an agent goes nowhere, and an ending that ends flat, despite the enjoyable movie that leads up to it. But the pluses are many: great soundtrack, good NYC locations, no false notes, and a breezy pace.

Bray Poor, who I saw off Broadway in what I thought was an authentic Cockney accent, is simply great as the shallow NYC friend. Amanda Peet is very engaging here, which explains why I wanted to see more of her. And the lead actor is extremely good. Cara Buono was fine as the main Nina. (She's a hell of a writer. I've read her "Charmed Life" screenplay.)

All in all, an entertaining dead-on dating movie. Men and women will both like it. Where are the distributors?? Worse dreck has been in theaters. This played equally well in a theater with an audience, and at home on tape by myself. It deserves more of an audience.

Self-indulgent mess

[vitachiel · 2/10 · 1 December 2007]

Very unnecessary movie with characters that are acting so unsympathetically that I really didn't care who would fare the best (or was that the purpose of the film, to portray some smooth talking cold-hearted New York city folks?) No romance here, no comedy either. Acting is very flat and a very predictable plot. What annoyed me the most was this constant joking with quotes from classic movies. Man, can't you see that the more you quote, the less significant your own movie becomes? Try to be original yourself! A small budget is no excuse at all, first-time director neither. Crappy, crappy, crappy. No wonder it only cost me one buck...

one of my favorite movies

[dirkdougler · 10/10 · 7 December 2003]

This movie was great! The plot was unique. The characters very easy to identify with. This movie also used one of the most innovative narrative methods I have seen... I don't want to be a spoiler so I will only give this hint...pay attention when time finally catches up with the present...

A Great Romantic Movie

[mikeschinkel · 9/10 · 9 August 2003]

This movie was very much about character development, and people growing through situations that could easily occur. Even the narrator played by Bray Poor (the Asshole') grew from being a non-caring jerk to being someone with feelings who took some honorable actions. Ron Livingston, the lead, did a fine job of making the guy believable without using any of the over-the-top cliched actions or situations some many other movies might use. He made you care about him and his plight without being a total dork. Amanda Peet was, as usual, just hot as hell but it was Cara Buono who stole the screen. Okay, I admit it, she's a girl I could see myself falling for madly just as ... (oops, don't want to spoil the movie for the rest of you who haven't seen it.) All in all, a really great romantic movie. Definitely in my top 100.

A Very Entertaining (If Predictable) Film -- Mild Spoilers

[carl_sussman · 10/10 · 19 January 2001]

The plot of Two Ninas is a familiar one, revolving around Marty, a perennial failure with women who wishes he could be more like his player friend, Dave. Marty gets his chance when circumstances contrive to introduce him to two women, who both happen to be named Nina. Marty begins dating them both, and the film traces the progress of the two relationships. All of this is fairly conventional, but the film is very well written, and well executed. The dialogue is generally believable, and there are many genuine laughs. Of course, as is obligatory in such films, it takes Marty far longer than it does the audience -- or any reasonable person -- to realize which Nina is right for him, and, inevitably, his realization comes too late to avoid disaster. The movie falters, moreover, at the ending, which anybody who has ever seen a movie will see coming from a mile away. Nevertheless, getting there is considerably more than half the fun, and the trip is worth taking. All romantic comedy fans should enjoy it.

Great dialogue, terrific characters -- a must-see.

[no_no_nan · 10/10 · 30 May 2000]

"The Two Ninas" is one of those rare movies that most people see about two years after it was made and wonder how they missed seeing such an incredible film on the big screen. I was one of the lucky ones -- I saw it at the Independent Film Festival in Chicago. As a writer, I'm often a tough critic of the dialogue in films -- and the words exchanged among these very real characters made this film altogether humorous, poignant and timely. It also was incredibly well directed and acted. This is a must-see. -Nanette

This movie is GREAT!

[kerry.rubin · 10/10 · 7 June 2000]

Two Ninas is one of the best movies that I have seen in while. It was charming, funny and real. The writing was terrific, the acting was also very good. This is the PERFECT date movie. You will love it, trust me. Surprising that Hollywood big-wigs have not snatched it up yet. Neil Turitz is one to watch.

breaking new ground!

[rshapiro-2 · 10/10 · 30 May 2000]

The 2 Ninas' stands alone as the male equivalent of the chick flick. This super funny, very realistic yet sensitive comedramedy has tremendous performances and great one-liners you'll be repeating long after you've seen it. The problem with the 2 Nina's is you'll want to see it again and again and unfortunately it hasn't come to a theatre near you or me. Not only the best thing I saw at SxSwest but way better than anything I saw at Sundance or Slamdance. It's a must see even if you have to seek this movie out!

My favorite flick I've scene in months.... a true 10!

[philsand · 10/10 · 29 May 2000]

Two Nina's was a wonderful film....sort of a "Friends" meets "Seinfeld" on the big and independent film screen. I really enjoyed the plot and how the film flowed. I didn't look at my watch once...I must have looked at my watch atleast 7 times while watching Mission Impossible 2 last night....Too bad Neil didn't direct that film....I would have enjoyed it more as well. Two Nina's had a great cast, a great story line...and a terrific director....A true 10 in my book.

I really liked this movie.

[gwdart · 9/10 · 6 June 2000]

I am 19 1/2 and a Sophomore in college and I really loved this movie. I saw it with my parents and brothers. I would really like for my friends to have a chance to see it. It is romantic but also very funny. I am sure that they will love it too.

I thought the performances were excellent

[swinter394 · 9/10 · 13 June 2000]

The cast for this movie really didn't disappoint. They were believable, well acted and intelligently scripted parts that were carried out well. I've told all my friends that like -- uh -- 'Friends' on TV -- that this movie has the same 'smart' script and quick pace

THE BEST INDEPENDENT MOVIE I SAW IN 1999

[miguelcuba · 10/10 · 18 April 2000]

The first and only opportunity I had to see this movie was in "Palm Beach International Film Festival". It's a romantic comedy with excellent actors & actresses. I enjoyed the whole movie from beginning to end. Unfortunately because it's an independent movie it hasn't been released nation wide neither the critics have pay enough attention to it. I call it "THE CINDERELLA" version of "RUNAWAY BRIDE".A very modest film with a wonderful story. Doesn't have the money of the other one mention above but the charming of this one is better than "RUNAWAY... Excellent, marvelous. I highly recommend it to everyone.

film was great

[grammyyudy · 9/10 · 28 May 2000]

film was very witty and enjoyable to watch--actors were superb and enjoyable--cannot understand why this film has not had greater recognition. I would hope that in the near future it gets the rave reviews it deserves.