Dream Scenario Review

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Dream Scenario review says Nicolas Cage has never been better than in this dark comedy about the hapless man of your dreams

Is it a drama, is it a comedy, a mystery, thriller or horror movie? Production company/distributor A24 lists it under all five genres on Rotten Tomatoes, and I happily report that swirling them all together in one movie makes for a headily cinematic cocktail — especially with Nicolas Cage as the bartender.

In fact, you may see Cage get an Oscar nod for his performance. In the past several years he’s amazed us with his remarkable range, and he’s definitely at the top of his game with this delightfully odd film about Paul Matthews, a schlumpy family man, who, for some strange reason no one can explain, starts showing up in other people’s dreams — millions of strangers see him innocently passing through their nocturnal adventures.

He of course, becomes the media darling du jour, and Paul is catapulted into a fame feeding frenzy. Social media and traditional media can’t get enough of him and he revels in his 15 minutes of fame, until…

His nocturnal doppelgänger starts doing more than just wandering through people’s dreams—he starts taking an active role in them, and it isn’t pretty. The world that embraced him suddenly turns on him, and his very own dream scenario becomes a nightmare.

Dream Scenario is a quietly cunning take on media, both social and traditional, as well as pop culture. Director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) seems to stand back and let Cage do his brilliant thing, successfully avoiding tarting his film up with flashy CGI, schtick or an overly imposing score.

It makes a brilliant case for a film not having to be “big” to be a highly entertaining standout. In my book, one of the ten best of the year.

Rated R

1 Hour 42 Minutes

Eileen Review

This Eileen review encourages you to lose yourself in this noir tale of good women going oh-so-wrong, and the prices they may or may not have to pay for it.

While you may not have heard as much about this deliciously dark and twisty tale as you have about other Oscar hopefuls, you could see Anne Hathaway getting a best supporting actress nod for her tenuously seductive portrayal of a prison psychologist in director William Oldroyd’s Eileen.

Not that Thomasin McKenzie (The Power of the Dog, Old, Jojo Rabbit) in the title roll doesn’t deserve awards nominations as well, but the Hollywood buzz machine is not behind her yet. Mark my words, it will catch up. She’s only 21.

Eileen is a naive woman in her early 20’s who lives in a dark, neglected home with her cruel, alcoholic father (Shea Whigham) and works a thankless job as a Girl Friday at the local prison. She does have the freedom there to pursue her own interests, however, and they’re not what you’d expect.

Her life is bleak, until Dr. Rebecca St. John, a sexy new prison therapist (Hathaway), comes into her life, becoming both a role model and an enabler.

Just when you think you know where this film is going, Rebecca drops a line that abruptly changes the direction of the plot, and Eileen becomes something very different. It’s a delicious WTF moment that is seldom pulled off in film with such impact.

If you’re in the AMC set, or just like a good, old fashioned, noir thriller, (I plead guilty on both counts) you’ll want to check this film out. Helmer Oldroyd, by the way, is also responsible for the intriguing and original Lady MacBeth, where many of us first came to appreciate the transcendent Florence Pugh.

Oldroyd is not prolific, but his films well worth the weight. Eileen is one that will sit with you for quite some time.

Rated R

1 Hour 36 Minutes

https://youtu.be/wkMIv0xuzr8?si=WHSHwXmgm_Pmi9Z-

If this Dream Scenario review or this Eileen review prompts you to run saunter over to the cineplex to see it, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Eileen review and Dream Scenario review praises both stylish films, and encourages being on the lookout for Awards nominations for actors in both films.