Muito Além dos Sonhos

I saw glimpses of this film when I was about 10, but my young brain couldn't handle it for more than a minute at a time, so I only saw a total of five. It gave me Stendahl Syndrome. Recently, with the DVD release ( a pretty dull, full-screen effort with burnt-in Dutch subtitles, but its the best we can hope for from such an obscure film) I was able to satisfy my curiosity. You will either love it or hate it, I was close to tears by how beautiful it was by the end (which is as obscure as the rest of the film). What is it about? You tell me. Certainly the impossibly beautiful Matilda May is worth the price of admission alone, but along the way we have the best representation of The Nautilus ever committed to film and production design unlike anything you've seen before. There's no logic, and possibly the makers simply filmed the writer's childhood dream, but its a precious, indispensable gem and if your none the wiser after reading this review, that's what you'll feel like by the end of the film. It doesn't make sense, it just feels right.

This movie isn't worth watching at all. I first watched it when I was about 12 years old, in the hope that it would be an interesting piece of cinema, but my opinion was the same as it is today: It's simply boring, has a confusing story and bad actors. Not even Harvey Keitel, normally one of my favorite actors, can save this flick from being a complete fiasco. And Jason Connery should better have continued his work within the series called Robin Hood, which was really brilliant. Even if you like fantasy or science fiction movies, there are still a lot of better examples. This is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of bad ones.

Fans of Little Nemo might be disappointed - the film has only vague references to McKay's extraordinary dreamworld. But it is an intriguing piece of cinema in it's own right. I couldn't really figure out what kind of film it wanted to be - for kids, science fantasy, or what. Suffice it to say I saw it 16 years ago and the memory lingers.

I first saw this film in 1985 and I liked it very much, it was written by Telsche Boorman daughter of director John Boorman, Who produced Dream One - Nemo. The story is an adaptation of "Little Nemo in Slumberland, by American cartoonist Winsor McCay. The special effects are a bit cheesy as you would expect in a low budget arty sort of film from the early 80s, But it has a great deal of charm. The story is dreamlike and childish, but it has a certain flare. I really liked Katrine Boorman's character the perpetually bored Countess Duchka. Also a very young and alarmingly ginger Charley Boorman is in this film. It's a shame that Jason Connery's film career didn't go very far, he looks the part in this, His acting in this? Well, I didn't hate it. Harvey Keitel plays it like well… him!

I must say that Mathilda May's performance as Alice was a bit insipid, but she too looked the part.

Nipsey Russell's Mr Rip, the Prospero magician character in Dream One could have been played a little more understated but he still came up with some profound moments. Dream One is an odd little arty film which you'll either hate or love, it resonated with me enough for me to buy the DVD and watch it again after 30 years.

Cary.

This is a real extra-ordinary movie in the full meaning of the word. I enjoyed every second of it. The way I found it , should be told to interested film-lovers; there is a new release of the movie on DVD under the name "DREAM ONE" by INDIES Home Entertainment (together with another movie "The Far Pavilions") and since may 2003 to be found in all the decent DVD-shops of Belgium and the Netherlands, or you can order it there. Sure a new release not to miss for such an old but special movie. And NO, I can not tell you what it is about, it's too strange and certainly an experience you have to go through without any prejudice. Open your eyes and mind and go for it.