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DREAMS MOVIE REVIEW
Whenever I see a movie about marginalized groups of people in pursuit of a better life, I am tempted to quote Steinbeck and the nightmare that is the American dream. I’m not going to do that to introduce this film though I will quote the character Professor Walter Vale played by Richard Jenkins from a film titled The Visitor, “You can’t just take people away like that. Do you hear me? He was a good man, a good person. It’s not fair! We are not just helpless children! He had a life! Do you hear me? I mean, do YOU hear ME? What’s the matter with you?”. Please seek out that film, which is also about ICE, violent sexual assault, and the exploitation of human beings. Dreams starring Jessica Chastain asks the question: what sort of charity work is helping with the immigration process and is that charity involved in any nefarious activity? Jennifer McCarthy (Jessica Chastain) is helping and sponsoring a Mexican immigrant named Fernando Rodriguez (Isaac Hernández) who is a beautiful and graceful dancer. Not only is she allegedly helping him with work and immigration, but she’s also helping herself to a sexually controlling and somewhat manipulative relationship. But when the power dynamics shift with the ballet slipper on the other foot, the relationship crosses the border. Bradly, Kate, and Eoin discuss the dark themes of sexual control set and problematic immigration issues within the confines of the story and in our real world. They also mutually agree that rape scenes are completely unnecessary and that you should skip this one completely if you want to avoid seeing such a thing.
DIRECTED BY: Michel Franco
STARRING: Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernández, Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell, Eligio Meléndez, Mercedes Hernández
YOUR REVIEWERS
Bradly Martin (Screener Squad Boss, Eye on the Prize, Breakfast Pub)
Bradly Martin was born in the united states and grew up on a healthy diet of sports, films, and books. A rather shy lad who kept to himself, Bradly soon discovered the best way to know a person was to know what people liked. Throughout the years Bradly became a fan of many things and a fanatic of none. From Doctor Dre, to Doctor Strange and the who’s who of Whos. From Playstation to the Dreamcast and Marvel to DC. From LeBron James to James Bond and Lord of the Rings to Lord Palmerston (or Pitt the Elder if you agree with Wade Boggs) and is a huge fan of dad jokes and randomly obscure Simpsons references. Armed with a vast knowledge of comics, films, and pop culture. Bradly traveled the world making friends and sharing takes. As a young man Bradly married the love of his life young and grew older every year with each new child brought into the brood. If trends continue, Scientists predict that .2% of Canada (where Bradly and family reside) will be populated by Bradly’s children by the year 2029. You can hear him leading and listening to his favorite critics on the Screener Squad and maybe even providing some comments of his own.
Kate Chambers (Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad)
Kate is a certified horror fiend and Horse Girl™. Her name isn’t short for anything. A native Austinite, she graduated with a BFA in Film Production from the University of Colorado Boulder then returned to the Lone Star State to make her home amid the cinephiles of the Alamo Drafthouse and the Austin Film Society. In her spare time, you can find her either down at the barn with her noble steed Jazz, watching as many movies as possible (often at work), cuddling with her pair of black cats and writing horror scripts, or nursing a beer in any available body of water… or doing Duolingo, where she’s currently on a 1000+ day streak.
Eoin Daly
Born and raised in Dublin Ireland, Eoin currently lives in London and has been an avid film lover from as far back as they can remember. Eoin enjoys going to the cinema weekly regardless of the film: new, old, or the most random title. They have no preconceived notions when taking in a new film. They tend to look for the good in any film they watch and will always love the art form. They are a major fan of actress-led cinema and will never apologize for this one film bias.
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