Dreamland

Dreamland is about a teen bounty hunter that is torn between helping or capturing a seductive fugitive bank robber hiding in his small town during the Great Depression. The movie is a well made drama with an interesting direction. There are two great performances from Margot Robbie and Finn Cole. Dreamland isn't always gripping but it is still a good and entertaining ride.

Rating: 6,9.

Greetings again from the darkness. Outlaws on the run have been fertile ground for movies over the years, and young director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and writer Nicolas Zwart give the genre their best shot (pun intended). The easiest comparisons are probably Sam Peckinpah's THE GETAWAY (1972), Jonathan Demme's SOMETHING WILD (1986), and Arthur Penn's Oscar nominated classic BONNIE AND CLYDE (1969). However, given the style of this film, Terrence Malick's BADLANDS (1973) was likely more of an influence for the filmmakers.

Phoebe Evans (as voiced by Lola Kirke, GONE GIRL, daughter of Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke) is our narrator, and from 1955 she recounts the story of her half-brother Eugene. Most of what she tells takes place twenty years earlier - 1935 Dust Bowl Texas during the Great Depression. Finn Cole ("Animal Kingdom") stars as Eugene, and we pick up a few years after his dad left the family behind and headed for what he expected would be an easier life in Mexico. Mother Elizabeth (Kerry Condon, "Breaking Bad") is now re-married to local Deputy George Evans (Travis Fimmel, LEAN ON PETE) and his bad haircut, and they now have a young daughter Phoebe (the magical smile of Darby Camp, THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES). Eugene reads Detective stories and mostly tries to stay out of George's way, while Phoebe is a curious little sister, easily the most intelligent of the lot.

One fateful day, Eugene's beloved detective stories come to life. After a local bank robbery turns violent, he discovers Allison Wells (two-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie, I TONYA) hiding in his barn, with a bullet in her leg. Despite the $10,000 reward on her head, Allison sweet talks young Eugene into keeping her whereabouts secret, and helping her plot an escape. She swears she didn't kill anyone and rationalizes the bank robbery by blaming the government for letting people suffer hard times. Eugene may or may not buy her story, but he recognizes this is the most excitement he's likely to ever have in his life ... plus, he's smitten.

During the first half of the film, we follow Eugene as he helps Allison and holds the secret. When the second half kicks in, we find ourselves along for the ride as the two are on the run from the law, including Eugene's stepfather George. Along the way director Joris-Peyrafitte includes some flashbacks to the botched bank robbery giving us a look at Allison's "Clyde", Perry Montroy (played by Garrett Hedlund). There are also numerous artsy flashes of coastline, supposedly representing Allison and Eugene's landing spot should they escape. Of course, we know where this is headed - a shootout finale. Filmed in New Mexico, we do get the feel of the hard life fought by those during this era, including the powerful and devastating dust storms that require gas masks to prevent suffocation. The film is watchable thanks to the performances and atmosphere, though it's not at the level of similar type movies listed earlier.

This love story is set during one of the toughest times of our history, The Great Depression. It follows Eugene Evans, a young man struggling to find his place in the world with big dreams to live a life of adventure. When the news hits of a bank robbery nearby with one of the fugitives on the run, this peaks Eugene's interest being that the fugitive has a large bounty for her capture. As fate would have it shortly after Eugene discovers the fugitive, Allison Wells, had taken refuge in his family's garage with a gunshot wound. Allison's nature is infectious and with the growing attraction and chemistry between the two Eugene becomes torn on how to proceed, claiming the bounty or breaking bad. Left with a choice that could forever change his life and all those around him in this coming-of-age tale.

This films cinematography is second to none and the gorgeous shots of the setting throughout this movie are robust, really bringing the era's setting to life. The acting in this film is extraordinary but the lack of the same caliber script and story is noticeable. If not for fantastic performances and an absolute electric chemistry on screen between Finn Cole and Margot Robbie this may have been more forgettable. This film still impresses even with its somewhat predictable ending it manages to end uniquely enough in its own right.

In The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan wrote about the apocalyptic clouds of dust that choked cattle, filled houses, killed thousands and created the labor pool of dispossessed Okies and Texans who left home in desperation to create what is now California. It didn't rain for years, not months, and the dust chased people to death.

Dreamland picture perfect rendition of the time shows why outlaws were heroes and ordinary people were driven mad to get away from home. No story ends happily in a landscape destroyed by man's own hand.

It's a grittier, less stylish Bonnie and Clyde, but no less heart breaking and doomed.

Great movie, and, OMG, can Travis Fimmel be just as menacing as an angry stepfather as he can as Ragnar.

See it,

There are several important characters but the story really revolves around two of them. Finn Cole plays 17-yr-old Eugene Evans, his dad was an alcoholic and left when Eugene was a small boy. Eugene got one postcard from his dad, praising the beaches on the Mexico Gulf Coast. As Eugene grew up with a stepdad he never lost his dreams of finding dad. In his dreamland.

Margot Robbie is the other as Allison Wells, on the run and wanted for a bank robbery and a shooting in Missouri. She ends up in Eugene's barn, he helps conceal her and nurse her gunshot wound. He was already enthralled with stories of bank robbers so meeting her was almost a natural for him.

Eventually they needed to go on the run, much of the meat of the story involves that. The story is narrated 20 years later by Eugene's half sister in 1955. After the movie was over I went back and re-watched the first 5 minutes or so, there is a lot covered that is more meaningful after watching the whole movie. Shot entirely in New Mexico.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. This is a good movie, it seems that the negative reviewers just could not get into the story.