Review by Matt Sheehan, Frankfort Station Newspaper
Robert Alaniz's Barrymore's Dream is an insightful, if not predictable and sometimes over-the-top, look at the concept of astral projection, which involves an out-of-body experience through sleep or deep meditation.
Michael Barrymore (Michael Stoskus) is an auto mechanic with sleep deprivation problems: he awakens from a disturbing dream that is a more of a collage of images that appear out of random.
Following a freak yet mysterious accident to his co-worker Dave (Dave Rodriguez), Michael begins to realize that his dreams are coming true. He becomes determined to understand and maybe control his ability
Michael soon finds himself in a relationship with Angela "Angel" Thomas (Jodi London). Angel is a beautiful and sensual yet mysterious woman who has a dubious past. Her ex-husband, Dwayne De Marco (Gary Sugarman), was charged with the murder of a photographer form Angel's modeling days. Unfortunately, Dwayne was acquitted on circumstantial evidence and disappeared.
Coincidentally, Dwayne shows up back into Angel's life during her relationship with Michael, which is also a coincidence since he's been having these dreams of his.
Then, Michael dreams about a murder that takes him on a mission to accurately predict the future and save the one he loves from possible doom.
Barrymore's Dream is very much melodrama, a term with a literal translation of "music drama." There are many scenes involving characters moving away from each other onto opposite sides of the screen with music straight form Days of Our Lives; they seemed to play a little too much like a soap opera for me.
Alaniz's story, from an original short story written when he was in high school, is broadened to a slightly over-the-top, sometimes unbelievable story. However, the story is second to performances of the actors who help to aid in the suspense factor.
Stoskus, who previously worked in Alaniz's Timeserver, is convincing as an ordinary, average Joe with a normal job. Michael's relationship with Angel is plausible for a man who is recently off a dead-end relationship, although it is heavily clichéd. Rebound? Maybe. Long-term relationship? Not sure.
London is exquisite, though, as the lonely yet suspect Angel. Her naturally good looks and sex appeal aid to the believability that she can have-and get-any man she wants, including Michael.
However, the actor who seemed to be having the most fun-at being bad-is Sugarman. His delectably creepy performance is as the obsessive ex-husband was the most fun I got to see from this film. His insane mannerisms and twisted delivery of lines reminded me of Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys.
Alaniz has said M. Night Shyamalan, director of Signs and Unbreakable, inspires him. With a thriller like this, it is expected to have a twist ending ala The Sixth Sense. Although predictable, Dream's ending is satisfying. But wait!-not only is there one but two surprises. I could even consider a third, minor surprise, but even I admit that would be pushing it.
Barrymore's Dream is a thriller that is light soap opera facade of a satisfying suspense film that shows Alaniz's talent is very promising and worthy of a big-budget dream project.
Rating by stars: 3 stars (out of 4)
Rating by grade: B+
Review by Loren Bueke, Freelance Press
Robert Alaniz returns to the genre of psychological thriller with the remake / re-working of his 1982 film Barrymore's Dream. The film works well on two levels, first, as a mystery about a man who attempts to interpret his nightmares, and second, as a love triangle. Alaniz has the advantage here. He can improve on the crude Super 8 mm version and remake the story for contemporary audiences and the advantage brought on by technology, experience, access to casting, and a larger budget that all contribute to this film's success. The main storyline does not deviate very much from the original film. It concerns itself with the plight of a young auto mechanic Michael Barrymore (Michael Stoskus) who must balance a stressful work and family situation with the nightly onslaught of mysterious images and visions while he sleeps. Much like the heroine, Allison Dubois from television's Medium, we wonder if Michael ever gets a good night's sleep. Eventually the visions begin to add up. After Michael foresees tragic automobile encounters with his sister Ellie (in a strong, underrated performance by Samantha Kuebler) and a co-worker, he decides to seek professional help. Michael turns to former neighbor and current college professor Arthur Shawn from a local University to try and make sense of his visions and what they mean. Gary Gow is well cast as the Psychiatry Professor. Gow is more comfortable, less animated and more at ease in front of the camera then he was as the lead on Alaniz's last film, Timeserver. In many ways, it is Gow's performance that is the glue, the voice of reason to the whole story.
Just when Michael appears to have some "control" of his situation, in walks the seductive Jodi London as Angel. Ms. London is quite alluring and controls almost every scene she appears in as the former model turned spoiled socialite. What actress wouldn't kill to play this part (even if for the chance to just to wear the gowns)? At times, the story appears to be over. Michael's visions seem to be under control and he has met the woman of his dreams (no pun intended - in fact, Angel is clearly the vision of every man's dreams.) But as in any good mystery, there is the calm before the storm. The Angel - Michael relationship only leads to the third wheel in the story, Angel's ex-husband, Dwayne DeMarco. He enters the film with the subtleness of a lightning bolt. DeMarco is played by Gary Sugarman, who is (again) well cast as the creepy, unctuous, despicable (and slightly misunderstood) villain. As in Alaniz's prior film, Timeserver, his villains are more than one-dimensional. Their evil comes not from a psychological disorder but motivated by character flaws, several bad brakes and injustices along life's highway. It is safe to say that Mr. Sugarman has now joined elite company. His back-to-back villains qualify him for a place in line with other Alaniz film bad guys like Don Bolda and Dick Konrath (from Alaniz's earlier Super 8 film efforts). Alaniz certainly knows how to cast actors you love to hate.
Once Dwayne assumes control of the film, it begins to resemble a three-ring circus. A series of deceptions, lies and shift of emotions send the story downward toward its murderous resolve. Michael and Dwayne actually resemble characters from a Shakespearian tragedy. For Michael and Dwayne, "love not wisely, but too well" over the fair Angel. The film's tragic twist, like the original, appears to let justice go blind. The film also has a "cliffhanger" ending (appropriate for a thriller) that leaves the story open for Part II.
This film works well in its execution and delivery of subject matter. The technical advances in the visual process, organization and time management have all paid dividends in this production. In many ways, this film in nothing short of a first line Hollywood production. The common belief that it takes a lot of money to make a first- class looking film is no longer true.
However, there are still some areas where the film comes up short. Despite the digital technology and simulated 24 frame filming process, this film, like Timeserver, should keep the nighttime shooting as limited as possible. As also my main complaint with Alaniz's previous film, there are to many storylines and characters filling up the cinematic landscape. A tighter story with fewer characters works better. The same is true for dialogue. Alaniz relies on too much of it to tell his story when a quicker, snappier pace would have been a better choice. The film is also lacking somewhat in a "cinematic visual style". In the great thrillers of the past, you can identify the trademarks of editing and visual styles of Hitchcock and Shyamalan. In this film, it's pretty much a paste and cut, scene after scene with no dissolves, camera stationary and actors sitting next to or across from each other saying dialogue. There are suspenseful moments, but there are a number of dead spots along the way.
One final issue that went unresolved. Nobody ever asks or questions why a wealthy, beautiful heiress has the slightest interest in a grease-monkey. Barrymore (Stoskus gives a rather bland, but functional performance, including a hair-style change half-way through the film) never wonders about this astonishment nor do his friends or family. I guess there is hope for all of us middle-aged men to find a woman like Jodi London on some dark, deserted highway.
Maybe Alaniz's next film will be lighter. More Neil Simon than Hitchcock. Maybe Gary Sugarman as a villainous Felix Unger?
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