Movie Review

The idea of romantic love goes under the microscope in far-out Fingernails

The concept of love is an ineffable thing, especially between romantic partners. While movies have spent plenty of time exploring love, it’s difficult to say they get it “right” because no two situations are ever the same. The new Apple TV+ film Fingernails delves into the subject in a unique way, one that may have some couples questioning their own bonds.

Anna (Jessie Buckley) is in a steady-if-unexciting relationship with Ryan (Jeremy Allen White), but one that has been verified by science, as they have submitted themselves to a test using new technology that confirms that they truly are in love. While they believe in the test, others are skeptical of its accuracy and refuse to take it, perhaps out of fear that it would come back negative.

Anna, looking for something new in her life, applies for a job at the institute that administers the test, a fact she hides from Ryan. She’s paired up with Amir (Riz Ahmed) to work with various couples to test their compatibility. Unfortunately – or fortunately? – she finds herself slowing falling for Amir, causing her to question the infallibility of the test and who she should actually be with.

Written and directed by Christos Nikou, and co-written by Sam Steiner and Stavros Raptis, the film is an interesting exploration of what it means to be in love wrapped in a slightly sci-fi concept. The idea that any kind of computer test could verify a couple’s love seems implausible, and there are times when the company, led by the harried Duncan (Luke Wilson), comes off as a one big scam.

Still, a lot of people buy into it, especially Anna and Amir, and the type of methods they use on couples sells that belief, including things like electroshock and tandem skydiving. But it’s the actual test that takes the most faith, and it’s here where the title of the film comes in. Suffice it to say that both members of a couple must make a sacrifice to prove their love for one another, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

However, if you remove the far-out parts, the story is one seen many times before. One partner, Anna, longs for a freshness in her relationship, while the other, Ryan, is comfortable and doesn’t see a need to change what doesn’t seem to be broken. Amir not only offers something new for Anna, but seems to share a more open-minded approach in general. The added element of the test merely heightens her need to get to the bottom of her feelings.

Buckley has been a bit of a chameleon in her career, but she always manages to give her characters lots of heart. She makes Anna into someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, and it’s a wild ride of her emotions. Ahmed is a similarly empathetic actor, and he makes for a great complement to Buckley. White has an intensity, recently seen on FX’s The Bear, that’s softened here, but just enough so as not to make him seem like a complete jerk.

It’s difficult to believe that many people would go to the lengths the characters in Fingernails do to find out if they’re compatible with their partners, but watching others do it makes for a compelling watch. It’s also a warning that too much questioning about the nature of love can cause damage to one’s soul.

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Jessie Buckley in Fingernails.

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Fingernails is now streaming on Apple TV+

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Movie review

Nick Jonas steals song from Paul Rudd in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

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Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

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