My very first impression of "Dream On" as it began was disappointment. Fortunately, it didn't end there.
Disappointment because it was clear this was a very low budget affair. The filming medium was very poor, and it gave the film an immediate feel of being little more than homemade. That needn't destroy a film, in my opinion; however, there is no getting around the fact that part of the value and quality of an artistic offering of any kind is affected by the materials used to create the art. Poor materials do not necessarily result in bad work (e.g., the famous Watts Towers in Los Angeles). Unfortunately, this movie suffers very badly from the very poor cinematography.
To leave it at that, though, misses some things that may be worthwhile to a sensitive viewer. Told with humor and (I believe the Brit word would be) cheek, it is a poignant, heartfelt story which rings emotionally true, and that is no small feat in a film. It certainly can't be accomplished without decent writing, acting (particularly the two male leads), and directing. Though now a middle-age gay man, I have no doubt that as a teen and a young man I would have found this film quite powerful because the experience of love flowing and unfolding so naturally would have felt like something I yearned for as naturally as water to drink. The way the story ultimately plays out makes that love all the more powerful and urgently felt. I will add that even now, decades and many miles and roads later as a grown man with a spouse of many years, that love and those feelings are real, natural and beautiful and the truth of that is captured in this film.
Unfortunately, the movie is rife with problems that do not lessen the value of this story, but badly devalue its telling. It is, as mentioned above, badly served by the media with which it was made and some poor production and script editing. There was a natural ending for the film about 10 minutes before it ends, but a wrap-up scene is included and a very bad misplaced attempt at humor is badly misplaced and completely deaf to the continuity, the tone, character development and even the pace of the story.
On a final note, I viewed this, as nearly all watchers have or will, on a DVD. As American viewers I and my viewing companions sometimes had difficulty understanding the dialog given the seemingly heavy accents. We were unable to find any subtitles, so I am sure there are things we have missed or failed to appreciate because the dialog was misunderstood. I suspect there are even folks in the UK and Ireland who would find them useful.
