Más allá de los sueños

I'd never watched this film when it was released. It's taken me 20 years to finally watch it, and though film-making has advanced technologically in terms of CGI in that time - it still looks stunning ! It's a slow burning story and there's not much joy and laughs - but the sense of love and family and resoluteness still lingered way after the film ended. It's concept of Heaven and Hell is way beyond conventional film directors. It's a labour of love which at the end is faith affirming and yet shows up all our human flaws and vulnerability in all their glory. Great direction - good acting and an incredible journey that will stay in your mind .

I am not that crazy about Robin Williams, though I don't dislike him. But he was adequate in this movie, because it called for a real sensitive and really nice guy. I feel that, from almost every one of the actors, there was a luminous glow emanating from their faces, like there was some sort of special lighting used. (There probably was!) As a result, the audience has empathy toward the characters and actually cares about what is happening to them. I've heard so many complaints about how it tries to pull at your heartstrings. Excuse me, but if there WAS a movie out there that made people cry without trying to, I would stay as far away from it as possible...

.....YES, I believe there IS merit to be deserved by a movie if it creates any kind of obvious emotion. I think that crying at a movie either scares or annoys some people.

I like how the movie made me feel awed during the first half, and even more awed during the second half; all the while making me feel sad throughout the movie at the same time. However, there is a difference between 'sad' and 'depressing'. I think the sadness helps any audience realize some parts of their inner-selves.

While very memorable, curiously, the movie never intends for its audience to be close-minded enough to think that this is, with certainty, what happens after you die. It is more of a suggestion, an analogy, of how precious life is, and how deep the bond of love is between some people, no matter what happens.

Rent this one today.

If there's one thing that What Dreams May Come has is a vivid imagination. Maybe some readings into Dante's Inferno might have given the writers some ideas as a start. But this goes way beyond.

I remember years ago at a Science Fiction convention Peter Davison said that one nice thing about being the Doctor in Doctor Who was that you could create your character from scratch. Since we've got no reports on the afterlife one can the imagination soar in creating it. Soar it does and at times the creation threatens to overwhelm the cast, but it never does.

Robin Williams doctor and Annabella Sciorra artist seen fated to be mated and are. They raise two children, but both are killed in a car crash devastating the parents both try to move on. Then Williams is killed in a car crash.

At that point the film shifts to the afterlife as Williams starts to get used to the territory. Cuba Gooding appears as a kind of mentor/guide for him. The place looks like paradise, but paradise will not be complete without the family reunited.

The afterlife does have its rules and Williams has to make quite the journey to accomplish his goal. Williams, Sciorra, and Gooding give impeccable performances and the sets are just breathtaking.

If it isn't this is what heaven should be.

Given the recent loss of the incredible talent of Robin Williams I found this film incredibly moving. Ir made me think about what his heaven would be like, if he was watching his family grieve and I hope he's found peace. This film hits home for a lot of us, obviously because Robin killed himself. I don't believe people who commit suicide out of sadness or loss of hope go to hell, I believe they go to heaven like everyone else - Maybe that's just me being idealistic. As a film though, this moved me a lot. It was quite a sad film but at the same time there were moments of joy and sweetness. The acting was superb. I've never seen Robin act in this kind of role and I think it brought out his gentle, loving side people who knew him often spoke about. He spoke with this fascinating softness that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.I feel he should be more well know for this role because its a great film. Annabella was also brilliant , she really brought out the raw emotion and pain a widow goes through after not only losing her children but then her husband. Although Cuba played a small part in this, his was also a great piece of acting (I wouldn't expect anything less from him). I cried a lot through this film, all for various reasons including the death of Robin and that pain of seeing him being wonderful and I am really going to miss him, also the film was very moving and does make you think, it also made me think of my life and what I'd do if certain people tragically left my life. So it hit home on quite a few levels. For its time the CG is actually pretty good, I've seen worse CG in films nowadays. Anyway, a fantastic film and anyone wishing to see a moving performance by Robin should watch this, he's incredible and always will be. I hope he's in his own private heaven at peace right now.

All right, the critics who have panned this film do have a point. This movie is muddled and not a heck of a lot happens in it. It's oversweet, and somewhat unsatisfying -- sort of like eating cotton candy for two hours.

But even with these serious flaws (and they are serious flaws), this is a beautiful film. It's a stunning work of art. The visuals are absolutely amazing, the use of colors is genius, and the Kamen score brilliant. This is a clearly a case where style triumphs over substance.

A number of critics have complained that the dialogue was wooden. I think this is due in part to our desensitivation to underplayed dialogue by DiCaprio-esque actors who insist on screaming all their lines. "I love you," isn't good enough. These days, it has to be "I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!" screamed with heart-wrenching anguish while ripping open their T-Shirts in the rain. Here Williams, Sciorra (sp?), Gooding, and Von Sydow actually *deliver* their lines with a restraint that is refreshing to see. There certainly is emotion in them, and seemingly genuine at that, but it's a subtle delivery and one that can easily be missed by today's audiences if expectations aren't carefully set.

I guess their are two types of filmgoers: those who love schmaltz and those who don't. If you don't love schmaltz, you'll be intensely bored with this film. If you *do* love schmaltz, you'll be blown away and bored in about equal measure.