Two Ninas (2001)

Two Stars for Two Ninas

"Two Ninas" is an incredibly cheesy "date" movie. Marty Sachs stars as Ron Livingston,a schlub who's moved to NYC from Maine. He's failed as a writer, and as a lover (is that really a surprise?) He constantly complains about his lack of a sex life... until he meets two girls named Nina. There's the stylish Nina Harris (Amanda Peet) and the more thoughtful Nina Cohen (Cara Buono) To make matters worse, Ron's friend Dave Trout (Bray Poor) narrates the story of his life to the camera. One might be tempted to think this is a clever story within a story,or something "virtually real" like "Dark City" but it isn't.

Livingston botches things up royally by dating both Ninas... then claiming it's a mistake. He constantly freaks out. When he mentions his novel about a serial killer writing a novel, one wonders if the movie is going for a darker turn (in fact,such a real-life case is going on in Poland) In the end, Livingston breaks up with both women,then somehow reconciles with Nina Cohen. Why does she settle for him? Jill Hennessey from "Crossing Jordan" makes brief appearances as a bartender,as if to be the marachino cherry in the movie's tepid cocktail.

"Two Ninas" bears an unlikely resemblance to "Pursuit of Happiness",a romantic "comedy" starring the amazingly homely Frank Whaley,again about a man torn between two desirable women,and who ends up choosing the less glamorous of the pair. It would make a double feature... of sorts. In awfulness. In time for Easter, this movie lays an egg. March 23, 2008

Five Stars For Two Ninas

This is an absolute gem of a film which is loses nothing on repeated viewings. A fine cast who are attractive without being Hollywood glamour types give uniformly well-rounded performances, with Bray Poor the obvious standout. The dialogue is clever yet believable - articulate and earthy. The two Ninas are both gorgeous in their own individual ways (as is the bartender). The plot is nicely paced with no real surprises which allows the audience to concentrate on the characters. The only false note is the character of the literary agent who could have easily been dispensed with. But that's a minor quibble. Everything else about the film is marvellous - a small movie with a great big heart. July 22, 2006

Good Movie!

I first saw this movie on HBO last year. As I was flipping channels, I saw a movie with the guy from Office Space in it. Then I saw Cara Buono and her beauty had me hooked! At first I was hooked on just her, then I found myself hooked on the whole movie. I was at first intrigued because he was going out with two girls both named Nina. And then as the story went on I began to like the flick. I recently bought it on DVD also. To me, it's that good. And Cara Buono!!! Oh yeah Amanda Peet was good in it also. March 14, 2003

Very Entertaining And Very Smart

"Two Ninas" is funny, very real, and has an ambience that is quite addictive. The film had me hooked after viewing it only once!

On one level, this is a light-weight movie with low profile actors and an unknown director. Even the plot of this romantic comedy is unoriginal.

But "Two Ninas" is youthful and charming. The performances of the entire cast is surprisingly excellent. I loved the intelligent mood and the 'feel' of film with New York as the backdrop. I found myself thinking about the characters long after I first viewed it. I was so infatuated with the Nina characters of Amanda Peet and Cara Buono that I went out and bought the DVD.

Ron Livingston plays Marty Sachs with a perfect balance of sensitivity and 'nurdyness' that rings true. Marty's life in New York is not going too well. His sex life has been dry for at least a year; he hates his job working on box scores for a New York newspaper; and he can't find an agent to sell his novel. Just as Marty considers moving back to Maine to work in his family's business, he meets two beautiful woman named Nina.

Marty's hyper active romantic life is a double-edged sword. Although he's enjoying it, sometimes the complications are too much and he f**ks up royally. Marty's experiences are narrated by his best freind, Dave Trout, nicely portrayed by Bray Poor.

I thought that Ron Livingston had more chemestry going with Amanda Peet as Nina Haris, but she was not the character he finally falls in love with. Cara Buono as Nina Cohen had some nice moments, particularly at the break-up scene at the Rodeo Bar and at the make-up scene at the end of the movie. But it was Amanda Peet that stole my heart.

All in all, a very fine film that I recommend highly. June 22, 2002

A Wonderful And Fun Movie

I really liked this funny and intelligent movie very very much, even though the plot is rather unoriginal and could be seen on many a TV sitcom. However, the cast of the "Two Ninas" is outstanding and they manage to pull it off VERY successfully. The acting is right on; the dialogue is crisp; and the characters come through smartly. Ron Livingston portrays Marty Sachs, a slightly-nurdy, struggling writer who hates his job, hasn't gotten laid in 17 months, and is considering leaving New York for Maine to work in his family business. Suddenly, he gets involved with two beautiful women named Nina. They both fall in love with him and want a commitment. After juggling the relation with both women, Marty discovers he really loves only one, Nina Cohen. Unfortunately, both relationships end badly. I will end this review here, except to say that I liked this movie a lot. In a nutshell, it's the exceptionally fine cast that pulls this movie off. May 29, 2002

More reviews at Amazon.com ...