“What Dreams May Come” Movie Review
Soul mates. Heaven and hell. Grief and pain. Suffering and suicide. Hope beyond hope. Visually stunning depictions of an afterlife. A love story beyond all possible odds. Intrigued? Then “What Dreams May Come” is the flick for you. If you see schmaltz, you’ll see it right away. If not, you’ll likely be hooked. Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie meet in the water in Italy when their boats run into each other. It’s an idyllic setting for soul mates to meet, and the flow of the photography and narrative is like a dream. But then it’s a nightmare-their children die in an auto accident. But love perseveres, until Chris meets the same fate.
Now we are floating with Chris to the next step, guided by Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who gives rather cryptic advice thru the funeral and grieving process, and then, like “The Wizard of Oz,” we open the door to an incredible world. Chris is in heaven. His heaven is his heaven. It seems there is enough space for everyone to have their very own, and Chris’ is being inside a painting. The paint itself is alive in an imaginative and visually stunning world that we learn the rules to-there are none. Just when it seems that things can’t get any better, Annie commits suicide. Suicides, Albert tells us, go to hell, so against all odds Chris goes to bring her back. It cannot be done, but of course he will try, and The Tracker (Max Von Sydow!) is just the man to help him.
And there is the plot. If you buy in, get ready for a rather imaginative and awe inspiring adventure. A confirmation of life and beyond that remains vague enough in its beliefs to be rather inclusive to many of our views on the afterlife. For example, in a rather wise move, god is still unknowable. “Where is god in all this?” Chris asks. “He’s there,” Albert replies.
If you choose to take the pill, take the jump, take the ride, you will love this movie. If you are feeling rather cynical and unimaginative, forgetaboutit. And the conclusion? No real surprises. But while it’s uplifting, let’s not forget it’s uplifting about real pathos. In the real world things weren’t so perfect. Before the kids died, son couldn’t live up to dad’s scholarly expectations. After they die, Annie try’s to take her own life and the marriage is almost doomed. All this is revealed in Chris’ thoughts as he tries to track Annie in hell. And hell is quite a place. All the souls there are refusing to live up to what they have done, in Annie’s case, failing to realize that she is dead. It’s a rather nice thought then-we doom ourselves to hell.
Visually heaven and hell dazzle.
Story: A A man reaches heaven only to find he must go to hell if he wants to see his wife again.
Acting: C+ Nice enough, didn’t lose me, didn’t gain me.
Visuals: A Heaven is beautiful, but so is the world before it.
Originality/Innovation: A Yeah, I think so.
Enjoyability Grade: A
Overall Grade: B+ Not a masterpiece, but a beautiful and wistful adventure/love story for the spiritually minded. Perhaps a little less Hollywood could have taken it to real art.
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