Dreamland
(2006)
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C+
Two young
ladies (Kelli Garner, Agnes Buckner) grow up in a trailer park not knowing
where their lives will go and one of them starts to fall for a new neighbor
(Justin Long) in Jason Matzner’s drama Dreamland
(2006), an ambitious drama that has its moments, even when it does not always
work. Besides a nice father who is a
drinker, Audrey (Buckner) keeps hiding all the letters that say how she has
been accepted to various schools.
I liked
the acting and directing, plus Tom Willett’s screenplay is decent, but the
results are still not as multi-dimensional as they should be. Maybe budget limited the film, which runs
only 88 minutes, but this film could have continued and had much more of an
impact. No punches are pulled about the
sad situation these characters are in, but there was more to show and say. For what is here, the cast is likable and
believable, but the film just needed more time.
Otherwise, it film is definitely worth a look and hopefully the start of
better things for all involved.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is a little soft, but consistent and
shot decently by cinematographer Jonathan Sela, which is certainly an
improvement on his work in the awful Omen
remake (reviewed elsewhere on this site).
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix fares better, though the choice of music is
mixed and the remakes of hit songs among licensed songs especially ring
false. Surrounds happen often enough and
dialogue is clear enough. The only
extras are previews for other Sony product.
- Nicholas Sheffo
