Land of Dreams

This is an arthouse movie that only gets bad reviews because people don't get the style. Being arthouse is not a saving grace and it doesn't excuse a badly made movie. This does not fall in this category.

The style is clear and consistent. The storytelling is unique but not random. Look forward to an intriguing journey into the quirkiness of a semi-dystopian but still charming and uplifting movie.

The acting appears wooden only as a stylistic choice. It is not. The characters are complex and immaculately portrayed.

While there is a level of political commentary, it does not dominate. This is a movie about identity, self-awareness and sticking to one's own reality, regardless of the "reality" the status quo tries to push on you.

Oh, and full of beautiful imagery in New Mexico.

Shirin Neshat's Land of Dreams is a beautiful, witty, and fun journey of an Iranian immigrant in America, in a land where dreams and reality blend magically. The outstanding performance of Sheila Vand, Isabella Rossellini, and Matt Dillon, makes a perfect combination with Neshat's distinct and artistic way of storytelling.

It is a beautifully crafted film with stunning visuals. I strongly recommend it!

The production could be much better with even a lower budget. I can just feel that there are some sloppiness here and there. Also, the solo part of the leading actress is too straightforward.

Ok, i admit it, i lasted only 25 minutes before i gave up on this mess, but this movie is so bad i couldn't watch another minute of it. Look, if you gonna make a movie, at least try to give me reasons to stay and watch it till you start unraveling your deep, meaningful and though provoking scenario that is supposed to amaze me..or something. Well, it's simply nothing for me. 25 minutes in and nothing, I mean absolutely nothing happened...not even a decent sentence or conversation. Oh ffs, come on...! Since I am not a movie director, or a screen writer, or whatever, I do not know what the heck happens in their meeting rooms, but I know this: this movies fails so bad at every turn it has given me digestion problems. Stay away from it.

This is a great example of how you can engage an audience without giving the whole plot away in the first 10 minutes. The Directors feed you just enough info to keep you glued to the characters as they develop and expose their motivations, their strengths, and their flaws.

The film is fueled with great performances by Sheila Vand, Matt Dillon and William Moseley as 3 very different people looking for very different answers only to stumble into a world where the answers you were searching for may not exist.

It's a complex satire that demands you pay close attention to the characters. The reward is a rich complex film that will stay with you a long time.