In Dreams (1999)

HORROR: In Dreams REVIEWER: Katherine Charles RATING: 7/10   REVIEW: A rebuttel to Shane's review. Perhaps this film held greater weight with me due to the conflict inherent in the family dynamics, and my ability to empathise with Annette Bening's character and the absolute loss she felt at being unable to prevent the crimes she saw in her dreams. The motherly instinct which played such a huge dynamic with not only her relationship with her daughter but also Robert Downey Jnr's character touched my immensely, but maybe that's because I'm female. Neil Jordan proved that he can mould frightening material with a film like 'In the Company of Wolves.' His scariest outing, however, was the intelligent and provocative 'The Butcher Boy' which did not receieve the attention it deserved. I found this to be a truly frightening vision of the post-war condition and the way individuals deal not only with personal trauma but also the trauma of living in a nuclear age where the future is uncertain. If you want a truly disturbing film experience, this is the place to find it. I also agree that in many spots 'In Dreams' was a directorial mess. However, this was more than compensated for by the magnificent art direction (I point to the town engulfed by water) and some truly frightening visions. Not a materpiece, but nothing to pass by either. Keep an eye out for the Snow White metaphors.... damn those exploding apples..... HFA MAIN PAGE|POST YOUR OWN HORROR REVIEW|MAIN REVIEW|

HORROR: In Dreams REVIEWER: Shane Gavin RATING: D-   REVIEW: Well Neil Jordan has done something I thought he, of all people, would never do. He has managed to take an overworked narrative device and made it more boring than I thought could be possible. In Dreams follows the life of a woman who has empathic dreams about a killer. The Dreams meld into reality and she finds herself in a reality nightmare when the killer takes her daughter. Jordan has gone for a familiar face in Rea to portray a very boring psychiatrist that of course thinks the heroin is just another quack. Aidan Quinn plays the role of her husband and maybe the most likable and possibly well rounded character in the whole film. Robert Downey Jr. plays the psycho killer and under does everything in such a way that no actor could bounce off his style without some kind of talent. What was needed was possibly Marilyn Burns from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" but what we got was very cardboard, and unaware performance by the lead actress Annette Benning, who can act but was not suited for this role. If you are after a film which follows a characters empathic connection with a killer rent "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers" and I'm sure you will appreciate the acting talents of Danielle Harris. Hollywood is pumping out a few of these Empathic connection films each year. Keep and eye out for Cate Blanchett in "The Gift" directed by Sam Raimi, and Jennifer Lopez in "The Cell". This film is based on a novel by Bari Wood called "Doll's Eyes" and was scripted by Bruce Robertson the writer director of "Witnail and I" and "Jennifer 8". The script and direction failed in this film and postcode like sequences that will launch art director Martin Laing (Titanic, The Haunting, Juidge Dredd - both computer enhanced films) into the next Millennium. This is the first film all year that failed, in my eyes, as a movie. Hence the rating of D-. I guess you have to rate each film for what it sets out to be and what it tries to be. If it does not achieve what it sets out to get the film will be awarded D's and E's like kids at High School would be awarded these marks. The film obviously set out to show the relationship between mother, daughter, killer and sanity but did it in such a way that it was impossible to like the film. The ending may have been just but the getting there was like walking on broken glass. D- HFA MAIN PAGE|POST YOUR OWN HORROR REVIEW|MAIN REVIEW|

Copyright , 1998-1999.

 

(C) 1998-99 Shane Gavin HFA.