No rainbows or baby unicorns floating around in this film. It's teen angst at it's finest. Dreams and Shadows doesn't try to created a cozy environment for the viewer, instead it kicks you in the gut with a dose of reality then keeps on kicking. James Russo is tragic and entertaining as the alcoholic father with a closet full of secrets. His son (played by Shawn-Caulin Young) is a social pariah who dives into his Samurai obsessed imagination to escape his father's turmoil as well as the local bullies chasing him down. Sounds like something you might have heard about on the local news, right? This film is a microcosm of what's going on with the youth of today. Teens tormenting each other until someone hits the breaking point. Kudos to the filmmakers because it looks awesome. Can't tell if it was shot on 35mm or the RED Camera but it has a very rich and at times shadowy look. The acting is strong and the film is well directed. This film functions mostly through the well written dialog and is punctuated with some very suspenseful moments that will keep you guessing till the very end.
Review of Dreams and Shadows
