Given Hallenbeck's dose of writer's block combined with a dash of procrastination, Moriarty decided to do that which Hallenbeck was apparently unable... to send in a completed review of WHAT DREAMS MAY COME... so here it is, Poor poor ol Joe...
Hey, Head Geek...
"Moriarty" here.
So Hallenbeck can't finish his WHAT DREAMS MAY COME review, eh? Allow me, Evil Genius that I am, to pick up his slack and review it for you. Be warned, though... I'll have to engage in spoilers to fully articulate my feelings. This weekend, I was holed up in my castle as the local villagers launched yet another frustrated attack on the battlements -- some nonsense about grave-robbing -- and found myself jonesing for a new film. With all routes of escape cut off, I had to make do with a lovely new print of Vincent Ward's new film filched by one of my mutant henchmen. I was lucky enough to be in the company of the lovely Agent of Order, and figured this would be a movie worth watching with a special friend.
Turns out I was more right than I knew. This is no simple date movie, and it's sure not the new GHOST, which is what many lame reviewers will no doubt claim. This is a serious meditation of the nature of Heaven and Hell and the burdens and joys that come with love. Based on Richard Matheson's trippy 1979 novel, this is the most surreal big budget film since 12 MONKEYS.
Up till now, I've been underwhelmed by Vincent Ward as a director. I thought THE NAVIGATOR and VIGIL, his New Zealand pictures, were both filled with occasionally striking imagery, but his storytelling skills left me cold. His now-legendary ALIEN 3 draft was interesting, but would have confused fans even more than the Fincher film finally did. MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART, his first international picture, was another effort that worked only in fits and starts, with some lushly romantic moments that ultimately added up to nothing.
Well, get ready, folks, 'cause Vincent Ward has finally broken through as a major talent. He's pulled all the elements of this picture together masterfully, and has created a classic that, despite what I predict will be initially soft box-office, will gradually take its place as one of this decade's greats. Perhaps it's the delicate, ethereal script by Ron Bass. Perhaps it's the subtle interplay between Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Max Von Sydow, and Rosalind Chao, an ensemble that works together perfectly. Or perhaps it's the incredible work by the special effects team here in realizing one of the most persuasive visions of the Afterlife ever committed to film. Whatever the reason, this film left a large mark on me, one that I'm still struggling to describe two days later.
The story is the ultimate example of "hard to market," since it doesn't offer the traditional kinds of feel-good spirituality that Hollywood loves to peddle. Even the set-up for the film is crushingly sad. A couple (Williams and Sciorra) loses their children in a car accident. Four years later, there's another tragedy and Williams is killed. The first half of the film is his gradual acclimation to being dead. He learns the nature of Heaven in a series of phenomenally realized sequences that use digital FX technology in a way that few filmmakers have tried before. This isn't about the gimmick, and it's not just an empty visceral rush. This is a new world, fully brought to life, and it's remarkable.
It's the second half of the film that will challenge casual viewers, though, and it's this material that is really make or break on what you'll think of it. Sciorra's character, lost in depression, commits suicide and goes to Hell. Despite the fact that she and Williams are soulmates (something that is evidently quite rare), he is told that they will never be together again. The idea of eternity without her is too much for Williams to bear, and he decides to challenge every convention of the way the Afterlife works to go after her. Using Max Von Sydow as a guide, he makes his way into a Hell we've never seen before on film. Seeing something this unsettling and dark will erase any memory of silly previous film Hells like SPAWN. This is a specific, terrifying place, and there are moral questions that are raised by both visions of the Afterlife that are more profound than anything in your typical $75 million film.
There are a number of twists and turns in the script that I haven't revealed here that pack a powerful emotional punch. Unlike Hallenbeck, I thought the love story here was wonderful because it wasn't overwritten. So frequently, Hollywood defines love by some cute meeting or some specific single action that leads to a lifetime of bliss. This couple meets in a wonderful, lyrical, low-key moment amidst one of the most beautiful backdrops imaginable, and their relationship is etched with a few moments of simple honesty. The connection between them is definitely strong enough to justify the arc of the film. The relationships between Williams and his kids (his son in particular) are also drawn in with a few simple, intelligent strokes that create just enough of an impression to allow us to be devastated by revelations later in the film.
Across the board, I'd say that the actors are exceptional. Williams is working at his best here, that special inner light radiating from his eyes. When he is in a film like this or THE FISHER KING or GOOD WILL HUNTING, there's such an innate goodness that just pours out of him. He's sure to draw some of the most impassioned raves of his career for this performance, but there will be people who can't handle it. Like Jeff Bridges, he has the ability to lay bare emotions that are too much for viewers who want to remain detached. He draws you in, forces you to feel what he's feeling. When it's grief and heartbreak that is this powerful, it can be overwhelming. Sciorra, who stepped in for Annette Bening at the last moment, does very good work in a role that could have been flat, uninvolving. Her madness following her childrens' death is honest and awful instead of over the top or maudlin. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is as good here as he was in JERRY MAGUIRE. He's one of Hollywood's more reliable wellsprings of heartfelt emotion working right now, and this film makes perfect use of his gifts.
By the film's end, what I had hoped would be a sweeping romantic story that might create a nice romantic mood had actually left both myself and the Agent of Order chewing on some fairly hefty emotional, spiritual, and intellectual issues. This is not a feel-good movie. It's not a "fun" movie. It's not the kind of thing I would recommend across the board to all viewers, either. I would say that anyone who is interested in how serious film artists will be using the new digital technology to tell challenging and adventurous stories on film as the medium develops should see this film on the best local screen available. I would say that anyone who likes having a film dare you to think and feel on a more profound level than traditional pap should rush out and support this film. Bravo to Interscope and Polygram for having the nerve to produce such a brave, original film. As someone who believes that he has met his soulmate in this life and who is on a difficult, occasionally rocky path with that person, this film hit me where I live. I was crushed by the picture's end. One of Robin's last few lines in the movie will haunt me for quite some time to come.
Those damn villagers are still banging on the door, and we're out of hot oil, so I've got to run. Too bad they're killing my mood, since this is the kind of film that is worth luxuriating in for days after seeing it. Let me take care of them, and then maybe I'll watch it again. Until next time...
"Moriarty" out.
