Dreamland

Dreamland is a heavy hitter in both its honest and intimate portrayal of lost romantic opportunity and the lessons learned in this quirky and serious coming of age film.

At first glance this film may come off like an adult romance cliche but don't let that fool you. This is a fresh work and a brilliant first feature by Robert Schwartzman. The film has a way of grabbing your attention with each stage of the film. Monty's dream of becoming a jazz bar owner and the realization that love may not always come in neatly decorated packages.

Johnny Simmons and Amy Landecker create a fresh look at an overlooked cliche and instead deliver an honest view of love lost that is both charmingly playful and heartbreakingly dreamy.

Lastly, the music composition of the film was pieced together incredibly well. Jumping like a heartbeat, between awkward adolescence and the uncertainty of love to its more mature and intimate moments reminiscent of The Graduate (as another reviewer has commented on).

My title would refer to my reception of this movie and not any particular theme in the movie. In short, I thought the movie was great...especially in light of the conspicuous lack of fanfare over it. I discovered it through Netflix's "related searches" function and I must admit, the stylish "Cocktails and Dreams" motif sold me on it.

One of the other reviewers mentioned that he/she didn't find the Mrs. Robinson character to be pretty and that she looked "old" in a few shots but that she was a good actress...well, how very magnanimous? I thought that she was also a good actress, but did the reviewer miss the point of her character? Common sense says, "yes." She might have looked "old" perhaps because she was an "older woman." Now, does this have much to do with her sensuous nature? Not to anyone who is relatively sophisticated. The point of her inclusion wasn't to present a centerpiece that would be coveted and fawned over, but to be an available sexual option that represented acceptance and opportunity.... That is the point of her character, not to be some sort of high status beauty queen. I would have thought that was obvious. More over, her apparent wrinkles in many scenes further serve to illustrate the urgency of her condition: fading beauty and quiet desperation. Her character was obviously a driving aspect of the movie, but the fact that the actress nailed the role while the script writers did such a great job with the character, boosted my appreciation for this film.

Here's the setup - Monty Fagan is on the low end of the economic scale working jobs and trying to get a loan to open his dream piano bar. His girlfriend has become bored with their life together and having to live with her mother. Monty gets a break to perform on piano at a very high end restaurant and there he is taken by Olivia who is very much on the upper end of the economic scale. This situation cannot go well!

Director Robert Schwartzman presents a story any movie goer has seen before. Young man of average looks and struggling to make a life gets his heart stolen by a seductive older but beautiful and wealthy and bored woman. Each character is nicely performed and more entertaining, than being performed as being real. The plot keeps your interest with just enough twist, turns, and emotional suspense in the story to keep it lively.

As stated above this is a good afternoon flick for easy entertainment.

Maybe it's because I'm in the same age-range as director Robert Schwartzman..and because I'm also a white male musician. But this movie resonates more with me than anything I've seen in years! It's the only film I can remember within the past 10 years with an emotional resonance akin to the classic John Hughes films in the 80's. Excellent directing, casting, cinematography, sound-tracking choices make this a supremely enjoyable viewing experience.

Yes, yes…the reference point I keep seeing is The Graduate. Rightfully so. But Dreamland breathes new life into that premise quite well thanks to outstanding performances from Johnny Simmons as the boyish, awkward & oblivious Monty and Amy Landecker as the sexy, wealthy, married older-woman Olivia.

I have to wonder if the role was written specifically for Simmons, because I can't imagine another modern actor doing justice to this role the way he does. Additionally, Landecker is unbelievably sexy throughout, and gives a very convincing and even subtly emotional performance that does more to service the role of the older mistress than Anne Bancroft was able to portray as Mrs. Robinson.

Also worth mentioning are excellent supporting performances from Frankie Shaw as Liz, Alan Ruck as Walter, Beverly D' Angelo as Marie, Jason Schwartzman as Peter, and Nick Thune as Jason the plumber. Specifically Schwartzman and Thune bring their strong comedic talents to the table! I've found myself quoting both of these characters in day to day life..great writing, great performances!

Lastly, the sound-tracking to this film is impeccable. Robert Schwartzman's background in music really shines throughout Dreamland. The ambient pieces are beautiful and tie things together nicely. Theme song "Sad But True" is an EXCELLENT and potentially classic piece of songwriting. The use of Classixx's moody masterpiece "Borderline" as a theme throughout does the film does great service.

This film might not be for everyone, but I can't say enough good things about it! Looking forward to future projects from Robert Schwartzman. I'd love to see him become this generation's John Hughes.

Where to begin - Johnny Simmons is actually a really great and underappreciated actor. He's young, charming and displays an element of sensitivity. All in all he has this human quality and is very believable.

His portrayal of the young "Graduate"esque Jazz pianist is delicate and smooth. The other actors and actresses are finely cast and do the job perfectly fine. One of my favourite things about this film is how the soundtrack fits the scenes perfectly. The synthy waves compliment the lonely back drop of the Los Angeles urbanscape.

Without further ado I move on to cinematography. It had the inherently indie vibe going on throughout - and it worked. It's a Los Angeles thing and artistically it's a great reflection of the city. Some people will use you, some will make you and others break you and you have try not to be too trusting in a city that can be quite unforgiving but equally beautiful and full of vibrance.

The message within the story really resonated with me - as a twenty something Jazz lover and lonely city dweller I felt a pull to the storyline and really connected with the main character. So if that makes for a biased review then so be it.

I really enjoyed and relished every moment and when the credits started rolling I was sad because I really didn't want the "dream" to end.

Off beat and plenty of soul to carry it along on a tight budget - bravo.