La Storia del Frank e della Nina is a sweet, slightly whimsical coming-of-age film that effectively finds meaning in words through a character who doesn’t say any.
Director: Paola Randi
Genre: Coming of Age
Run Time: 105′
Venice World Premiere: August 31, 2024
Release Date: TBA
Paola Randi’s La Storia del Frank e della Nina is a surprisingly sweet and lightly comedic coming-of-age film that has a lot to say, despite having a main character who doesn’t say anything at all. It’s a film that Randi herself describes as the story of ‘three kids fighting against reality’, and with some quirky use of animation and colour, it certainly has a whimsical feel.
Gollum (Gabrielle Monti) narrates the story of Frank (Samuele Teneggi), his friend who has decided not to exist, and Nina (Ludovica Nasti), his friend who wishes her existence were different. But he does so through graffiti, spray-painting meaningful phrases and poems onto walls in place of being able to speak them aloud. Nina, married and a mother at 16 to an abusive husband Duce (Marco Bonaderi), wants nothing more than to sit her school exams and escape. Frank, who attends any university class he can just to learn a little about a lot of things, decides to help her. They’re introduced by Gollum, and the three of them try to find their place in the world and the meaning in it.
La Storia del Frank e della Nina is, ultimately, about the power of words. Be they yours or someone else’s, words have the ability to inscribe so much meaning to the world around us. Gollum has none and Frank has too many, and so the pair find an equilibrium that translates into a really affecting friendship. Nina’s introduction shifts the dynamic a little bit, but it never descends into melodrama or fighting over her affections like many teen dramas might be tempted to do.
Instead, it’s a sweet and burgeoning romance between Frank and Nina, and a friendship between the three of them that gives Gollum a voice. There’s a motif throughout the film about Gollum’s graffiti, how it’s always snatches of words that have meaning to them. Usually, they’re quotes he’s found or heard, and they’re always relevant to the situations and discussions happening around him. Combined with the narration that lets the audience in on Gollum’s inner monologue, it’s such a clever way of giving him something to say when he can’t do it physically.
Monti is really expressive throughout the film, never resorting to caricature or pantomime as Gollum tries to communicate with each new person he encounters. Teneggi and Nasti are given slightly more of the heavier dramatic material, and deliver it very well, but there’s room for all three of them in the dynamic and the three performances balance each other out nicely. Nobody feels shortchanged, even if the ending does feel a little abrupt after such delicately explored relationships.
Matteo Carlesimo’s cinematography, combined with the interesting use of monochrome, pops of colour and quirky narration, elevate what is a pretty simple script. There’s a whimsical nature to it, especially as Gollum, Frank and Nina navigate an increasingly adult landscape whilst barely on the cusp of adulthood themselves, and the film doesn’t even feel tonally awkward. It strikes a good balance when dealing with its more sensitive, serious topics – domestic abuse, self-expression and complicated family dynamics to name but a few– by injecting light humour, lifting the film without ever feeling jarring.
La Storia del Frank e della Nina is sweet, slightly whimsical, and surprisingly poignant. There’s a lot of interesting and effective stylistic quirks, a trio of good lead performances, and a delicately delivered central message about the power of words. It’s a film that emphasises the idea that, just because someone is young, doesn’t make what they have to say any less valuable. It’s a film that encourages the viewer to find their own voice and make it work for them, even if it is through a can of spray paint and a crumbled page of poetry.
La Storia del Frank e della Nina had its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2024. Read our list of films to watch at the 2024 Venice Film Festival!
