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seanpbizner-1
Reviews
Nothing Like Dreaming (2004)
Exploring A Strange Vermont Relationship
Nora Jacobson's "Nothing Like Dreaming" is probably nothing like you've ever seen before, unless you're familiar with her previous work, or the work of another Vermont filmmaker, Walter Ungerer. While Ungerer's work usually shuns a traditional story structure, in NLD we are shown the growth of a relationship between two unique and interesting characters.
Emma (Bicknell) is a young high school senior, just accepted to Yale, when her friend is killed in a drunk driving accident. Through her rage and sadness, she finds another lost soul to be with- the much older Sonny Gale (Woodard), whose mental health is in serious question.
The two form a relationship around the Fire Organ, a rare musical instrument which Emma helps Sonny make. Most organs are played with air pumped through tubes, but the Fire Organ (an actual instrument) is played by blowing fire from a torch into the tubes, creating a haunting sound to accompany the strange visual.
I don't want to say too much more about this film, only that I would encourage people to try and see it any way they can, because it is a movie worth seeing. www.NothingLikeDreaming.com has screening times and locations, and you can get the video there too. I highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in wading away from the mainstream of independent cinema.
Les triplettes de Belleville (2003)
Style Over Substance
I'm a fan of many French films, in particular Goddard and the Antoine Doniel films. I watched this film with an open mind, and enjoyed the amazing animation that it offered. What it did not offer, however, was a story. I found myself at times watching animation that, if there had been a good story tied to it, I would have been enthralled. However, I just found myself asking "what purpose does this serve?" The lack of dialog really hurt the film, in my opinion. There are many silent films and dialog-free films that use the lack of dialog to their advantage. With this film, however, it felt like the filmmaker forgot to include dialog, instead of cleverly omitting it.
There are some people who will look at the film's strangeness, "frenchness", awards, and animation, and say that it is great. I can't help seeing the flaws, and feeling unexcited after watching it. I would love to see a movie like this again, but with a much better story attached to the great animation.