Sweet Dreams

Wow! I viewed this documentary at Full Frame Fest this past year, burnt out from watching docs, some good, some downright bad, but all-in-all typical. The boxing imagery of the advertisements struck me, so me and my friends decided to check it out. We came out all agreeing to that this was hands-down the best documentary we had seen at the festival, and one of the best we had ever seen.

The story follows a boxer, Gary, and a young bookie, Derek. Gary, a family man at heart, spends his days working construction and nights training for boxing. The death of his fellow friend and boxer leads him to the direction of attempting to create a Union for boxers. The Union, of course, would not only protect fighters, but open the doors for them to a future after boxing. On the overhand, Derek spends his days booking on streets and nothing more. I was pleasantly surprised to have a guy like Derek, although wanting to be some tough guy, was nothing but a soft, insecure kid that turned out to be heart-warming and hilarious. The chemistry of the two stand out on screen so great, that if I didn't known any better, I would have thought it was great casting.

Now, this is the most beautifully shot and edited docs I have seen. This is a movie that requires multiple viewings being that there is so much emotional depth. No doubt about it, the boxing scenes were the best I have seen in movies, documentary or Hollywood. The use of music was so well fit for the movie, when used, I got chills. The theme of family was so strong, and the idea of blood, sweat and tears from the everyday working man defines your character, stood out greatly.

I stayed and listened to the director's panel talk on the making of the documentary which was extremely insightful on the approach and thought behind the making of the documentary. My hat off to the director, I look forward to seeing what his next movie will be.

I can't wait to see this movie again. It is an experience like no other. I always loved documentaries and have been going to Full Frame since it began. In my opinion, Sweet Dreams takes documentaries to a new level. I knew when I left the theater that I just experienced a movie that will someday be an All-America Film Classic.

10/10

I saw this at IFC, and it kicked my ass. I'm not a fan of boxing, and figured I was going to see a boxing doc with my friend who insisted on seeing this. I'm glad I did. As fate would have it, we bought the last 3 tickets, and I wasn't particularly interested in seeing it--again, thinking it was going to be some boxing doc. The two guys in the story, Gary and Derek, had a chemistry you would think you would only get in scripted dramas. There was so much depth and emotion in this film, I was totally fried when it was over. Furthermore the film-making was amazing. I didn't expect to see such beautifully shot, beautifully edited composition. Just gorgeous. My hats off to everyone involved. It's classic.

I saw this film about two months ago and tried to post a comment right afterwards, but the movie was not on IMDb, so I was glad to check later on and see that it is now available. My wife and I try and hit the Cinema Paradiso a couple times a month. They play a variety of underground films as well as classic films. There was a group of festival films playing one weekend so we decided to try and catch a few. We left the theater amazed by it's brilliance. I never had watched a documentary like this. Not only taken by it's sheer power, but also by it's warmth and love for the people it documented. I laughed, I cried, and I times I felt pain (although I will not say why).

I love boxing films, (ala Rocky, Raging Bull, Cinderella Man) and I will not dare say that this is a boxing film due to the fact that there is so much more beyond boxing in the world of the characters. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. However, I will say, when it is a boxing film, it is the best I have seen. The fight scenes are strung together in such a brilliant, powerful and poetic way, that each fight feels unique in it's style and approach. And of course, it's real. I may not be a filmmaker, but this movie is fantastic in it's art-form, unlike any documentary I have seen. I was hoping after the movie that the filmmaker was present so I could shake his hand.

This film is a little bit of Hoop Dreams, a little bit of On The Ropes and some Harlem County USA meshed in one beautiful movie. After the movie was over there was a heavy round of applause and much talk of it outside the theater. I will say this, this movie deserve to be played at a cineplex, and I hope it does. I can't wait to see the film again, and look forward to owning it on DVD someday. And if by any chance the filmmaker reads this, I want to say thank you for Sweet Dreams.

If you wish to see a ground breaking docudrama that has lots of heart and a real story of triumph, heartbreak , and personal awareness. This is a must see. As the story unfolds you are drawn into the events of the subjects. I never was a huge fan of documentary style films until I watched this movie. I was so pulled into the story that I often waited for a mock one liner like "Go for it!" but then I remembered this wasn't fiction. What impressed me was these characters are at a age where life events play a major impact on the rest of their lives and as this films takes place over 3 years there is many twists and turns. It gave me the feel of what I saw as a kid when sitting through "Rocky" (the first one) with my Grandfather. Each character goes through their own personal trials and tribulations and they find their roads crossing and connecting along the time line. There are times that it seems to last a little longer than I would like but I'm the anxious type and want to get to the drama. But as you relax and let the story take it's course, I found it was necessary you understand certain events that relate to the story later on. I can't say after watching this film you'll want to take up the gloves but there is something there for everyone to take home and want to watch this movie again. It will make you believe in there can be a champion fighter in us all! Hope there is more to come from Eric Latek and his style of passionate film-making.