NICO AND DANI
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, AMC Sundance 11
This summer coming-of-age flick set in a small beach town near Barcelona centers on two teen-age boys -- Dani (Fernando Ramallo) and Nico (Jordi Vilches) -- spending a couple weeks alone at Dani's beach house when his parents leave town. They have always been best friends and have always shared everything. Suddenly they find themselves drifting apart when they meet Elena (Marieta Orozco) and Berta (Esther Nubiola), two cute local nubile girls who help them discover love and sex and all of the physical and emotional pain and joy that comes with them. The sophomore effort of Spanish director Cesc Gay is essentially a teen movie about a couple of buddies who want to get laid before they turn 18. But there is a twist to this film that is remarkable in its frankness: Nico and Dani delivers the themes and style of recent films like Wild Reeds and Beautiful Thing, but the spirit of this movie is different -- it's fiestier. Ramallo and Vilches give striking performances, and they have an enthusiastic rapport that is enjoyable to watch. The film is colored by the naiveté of the teen-agers and that gives it a veracity that is at times shocking, and at other times sweet. Not rated -- R equivalent. Spain, 2001, 90 min., 35mm, color.
Director: Cesc Gay; Starring: Ana Gracia, Myriam Mezieres, Chisco Amado, Esther Nubiola and Fernando Ramallo
Also showing: Javier Prato's R.S.V.P. Regarding Something Very Personal. Prato will be attendance.