Dreamers
Wow, another independent movie about idealistic young filmmakers
struggling to get their movie made. The surprise here, though, is that
writer-director Ann Lu's debut is actually witty, incisive and somewhat
daring.
Story
I won't give away the film's clever opening, except to say that it's
playfully inventive and, if you buy into it, it ties together nicely
with the rest of the film. Essentially, it's a film about the American
dream, Hollywood style: Two young kids growing up in Smalltown, USA, who
go to Tinseltown with delusions of grandeur, hoping to escape their
insulated world for fame and fortune. Oh yeah, and one of the guys sells
his virginity to get funding for their film.
Acting
Jeremy Jordan and Mark Ballou, as CFDS (Chronic Filmmaking Dream
Syndrome) sufferers Dave and Ethan, are believably earnest, in a 1990
"Dawson's Creek" sort of way. Ruth De Sosa is the Beverly Hills
housewife exploiting the sexually repressed boys for cheap thrills, and
Courtney Gains plays the dim-witted producer. No stars here, but no
wannabes, either.
Direction
Probably the most amazing thing about the film is Lu's fascination with,
and affinity for, Americana. It's hard to believe the director has only
been in the United States for five years; her feeling for the small-town
characters and their situations is dead-on. And Lu has a great sense of
visual style, particularly for such a low-budget affair.
Bottom Line
If you're not completely bored with the "indie filmmaker" vibe by now,
"Dreamers" is a new take on an old story. Heck, even if you are bored
with it, you'll probably laugh a lot.