Belos Sonhos

A quite good film about a boy whose mother dies early. In a very deep and well filmed and acted narrative, spectator sees the boy ageing, having a distant father, becoming an adult, working, facing various difficulties and life experiences. Things that are not told may eventually reappear. Direction, art direction, edition and acting in general all work well, but I may highlight impressive performance by young Nicolò Cabras!

Fiction can move us deeply when we can relate to the stories being told. Otherwise, it's merely entertainment, which can be just as enjoyable and useful, but most certainly not moving.

According to your own personal views and background, you may find this melancholic tale about a child loosing his mother heart-wrenching, devastating or run-of-the-mill.

I was so involved that I lost track of technicalities almost immediately and was sucked into the tale of 9 yo Massimo and his painful growing up without his loving mother and with an almost uncaring father.

Personality disorders are to be expected and in fact it is amazing how well - given the circumstances - Massimo coped. However, there is a final mystery to be discovered before Massimo can find closure.

Back to technicalities, I did not like much the continuous moving back and forward, because they were not linked to the development of the plot and I don't even like much Mastandrea as the grown-up Massimo. Mastandrea is an actor who seems incapable of emoting and detachment is a main part of his screen persona. However, despite these minor issues, I really liked the movie.

Due to a comment on this film, I thought it would have some similarity to "The assault", a very good 1986 dutch film of Fons Rademakers.

It was my first disappointment, because it differs greatly in its quality and cinematographic development, beyond the fact that the story is about an adult tormented by a tragedy suffered as a child (adolescent in the case of Dutch cinema), who wants to know details about what, On one fateful night, it really happened.

I found some similarity with "Never look away", a 2018 German film that shows a boy influenced by his eccentric and a little crazy aunt (here is the mother of the protagonist who has these characteristics), but also, by the way It was filmed, I saw a similarity with some productions by Michelangelo Antonioni, which I did not like very much but were highly appreciated in the sixties, such as "The adventure" (very good photography, unlike the film I am reviewing) and "La notte".

Perhaps this similarity to Antonioni's cinema explains why "Sweet Dreams" has had ten nominations for David di Donatello, including Best Picture.

But I did not like it.

The plot is confusing, with somewhat discordant comings and goings from different eras, a slow pace that seemed somewhat boring to me, dark colors and an exaggeratedly gloomy atmosphere, spoiled emotional scenes and inconsequential performances, except, perhaps, that of Bérénice Bejo, who did not can stand out a lot given the brevity of her role I rate this film with 5.5 points (between barely acceptable to mediocre) and I only recommend it to those who appreciate this type of cinema, filmed in a relatively original way, but, in my opinion, very neglected.

A nine year old boy is deeply affected by his mother's death and keeps missing her very much. Even after reaching adult age he is upset by his memories of that. He becomes a successful journalist but is often panic- stricken and asking for help. The story develops itself through frequent flashbacks and flash forwards keeping our attention firmly attached to the action developmenr. The performers' acting is rather good and the movie good enough to be seen.

Perhaps only a director who has lived as long as Marco Bellocchio could tackle the subjects of death and grief with the degree of empathy that's shown here. A young boy, Massimo, is devastated by the sudden death of his mother; years later, as a man, he must try to come to terms with his grief. "Sweet Dreams" is, indeed, an old man's film; there is a lifetime of observation and affection on view. This isn't the kind of film the enfant terrible that Bellocchio once was might have made but a slow, measured, grown-up and deeply moving view of childhood and what lies beyond and as the very young Massimo, Nicolo Cabras is quite extraordinary, (as the adult Massimo, Valerio Mastandrea is also outstanding in what really is a superb ensemble). It's also a decidedly old-fashioned film; there is nothing ostentatious about it. It is a film full of memories but they aren't handled in the tricksy fashion of so many younger directors. Indeed, this is the equal of anything in the director's canon and if we are speaking of late masterpieces this is certainly one. It really shouldn't be missed.