Wednesday 23 February 2011

Time does not exist here. And wherever it went, it's not going to make me need Annie any less.

What Dreams May Come (1998)
Chosen by Victoria Charvill who had this to say about it: ' A test of your stone cold heart. It oozes sentimentality and wants you to believe in soul mates. That aside, it's my favourite Robin Williams film and possibly one of the most under-rated films of all time. It's portrayal of heaven and hell is the most creative and beautiful I have seen.'


Richard Matheson is a terrific writer but I have never read the story this is based on, and honestly have little interest in doing so after seeing this film.
Horribly miscast Robin Williams can neither do the comedy bits (some horrid Patch Adams sections here) nor the emotional drama (he manages ok the couple of times he gets angry though - suggesting, perhaps as with One Hour Photo, he's better when with a darker edge) but is still far better than an incredibly annoying Cuba Gooding Jnr.
Annabella Sciorra is however rather good and anchors some of the film (hey I could believe he would walk through hell to get to her) and it's murkier concepts (his family pretending to be other people is given some cod justification but doesn't really make sense).
The idea of heaven being made from a painting is visually arresting (till they ditch it) but the hell, whilst looking good i guess, never gets beyond Bosch in it's influences.

3 comments:

  1. Haha, so you don't have a stone-cold heart, you have no heart at all!


    :p

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  2. Ain't seen One Hour Photo, but I'm quite sold on Williams being dark in Insomnia.

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  3. Actuallt I meant Insomnia as I haven't seen one hour photo. slight brain fart.

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