Dreams
Filmmaker Michel Franco’s Dreams follows a wealthy socialite who has a scandalous affair with a young undocumented ballet dancer. Their dangerous relationship has ripple effects that will appall.
Dreams opens with a horrific scene of abandoned Mexican migrants locked in the back of a truck. Fernando, once let out, makes his way to his lover’s home in San Francisco. Jennifer is a divorced trust fund baby who uses her position at her ballet company to string Fernando along with promises of a greencard, all while keeping their torrid affair behind closed doors. A determined Fernando runs back to her arms over and over in hopes that he can one day be a principal dancer in the company in the US.
Some of the most beautiful and compelling scenes are the rehearsals. Gorgeously lit, effortlessly shot, and emotionally grounding, you cannot take your eyes off Fernando, in particular. Halfway through the film, a dance mirrors the highs of their relationship dynamic in a poetic way. Bravo to the intimacy coordinator (which the film does not credit), the sex scenes have the most electric chemistry and choreography.
Isaác Hernández is extraordinary in his body. The camera loves him. Jessica Chastain is intentionally cold. Dreams is a film about power. Jennifer’s loneliness is only equal to her need to possess Fernando on her terms. She pushes boundaries both physical and emotional, playing on Fernando’s financial desperation and naivety. Her love is circumstantial, even if she believes otherwise. She’s a villain. The audience will undoubtedly loathe her, and Chastain and Franco understand that.
The tone is uneven. The first half feels like strangers communicating with each other. The second half is better, but remains at arm’s length. The final act gives Fernando the opportunity for much-deserved vengeance. It is, admittedly, a clever attempt at turning the tables. In the end, Dreams is more horror than a love story. It will break your heart.
Dreams Trailer:
Releasing Theatrically on February 27
SYNOPSIS:
A powerful socialite (Academy Award® winner Jessica Chastain) and a promising ballet dancer (Isaac Hernández) begin a dangerous affair. When he secretly crosses the US-Mexico border, she takes desperate measures to protect their future together. A tense, erotic drama from acclaimed director Michel Franco (Memory, New Order).
DIRECTED BY Michel Franco
WRITTEN BY Michel Franco
PRODUCED BY Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Alexander Rodnyansky
CAST Jessica Chastain, Isaác Hernández, Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell, Eligio Meléndez, Mercedes Hernández
Run Time: 121 minutes
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Oscar winner
While the “why” takes longer to get to than I would have liked, and feels somewhat disjointed, In Cold Light is a definitive, gritty crime thriller. Helen Hunt briefly appears, and introducing her sooner would change everything. Both the editing and handheld camerawork are hypnotic. But it’s the visceral father-daughter dynamic that gets under your skin and stays there. Screenwriter Patrick Whistler delivers unresolved trauma on an astonishing level. Monroe and Kotsur make an undeniably compelling duo. I would love to see them back together, doing anything literally.
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Untitled Home Invasion Romance
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While grading papers, Susan’s quiet night gets weird when her husband shows up in a panic. He explains that through his secretive research at Double Star Accounting, he can now predict the future. Edgar shares that his co-workers are after his knowledge and that Susan and their daughter, Taylor, are in danger. This sounds preposterous to her until two aggressive individuals knock on her front door demanding to know where Edgar is. As they threaten her family, Susan must decide who to believe.
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Performance was my safe place from a young age. I got to disappear into someone else. I got to escape the anxiety of being myself. Hell, even speaking other people’s words made me feel more confident. I was better at being someone else. And yeah, I know now that was my way of studying to mask. I became extremely confident because I was good at everything, but what people didn’t see was the endless fear that I felt. It was all to cover my 
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The opening credits give Spielberg‘s Amazing Stories meets Ripley’s Believe It or Not! vibes (a huge compliment). Cinematographers Zac Palmisano, Courtney Breedlove, and Tyler Hall beautifully captured the variety of Michigan landscapes. Brandon Dalo provides an original score that balances mystery and lightness.
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100 NIGHTS OF HERO
Religious and political parallels are undeniable magic. The dialogue is a modern version of a bawdy Shakespeare comedy, cleverly tongue-in-cheek and playing right into toxic masculinity. Even our three main characters’ names are pure, double-entendre delight. 100 NIGHTS OF HERO weaves fable, witchcraft, and feminism seamlessly. 
Xenia Patricia
Maika Monroe
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THE DISINVITED
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Genre: Thriller/Horror
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