DVD Review: Dreamlife of Angels, The (A)

The Dreamlife of Angels (1998)
Directed by: Erick Zonka
Starring: Elodie Bouchez, Natacha Ragnier, Gregoire Colin
MPAA: R
Grade: A

Review by Ellyn Elm

Isa (Elodie Bouchez), a free spirited young woman backpacking across the country meets up with Marie (Natacha Regnier), a disaffected misanthrope, while working in a sewing factory. Despite their very different personalities, the two become fast friends.

So begins The Dreamlife of Angels (La Vie Revee des Anges), a weighty film with richly developed characters set against a spartan landscape.

Through the unlikely pairing of Isa and Marie, this film explores the loneliness of the human condition and our need for companionship and connection in our relationship with others. The relationship between the girls is doomed by Marie's demons, and Isa learns through painful experience that her goodwill and openness will not necessarily enable her to establish the connection she seeks. Marie, consumed by pain and rage, is simply doomed.

I don't want to give away anymore of the movie than that so you'll have to trust me when I tell you that it's one of the best movies I've seen in years.

Dreamlife is a subtle film, unhurried and graceful. And, I must say, it's quite refreshing to watch a movie that is more concerned about telling the story than about selling the soundtrack.

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DVD Review: Shanghai Gesture, The (B)

Shanghai Gesture, The (1941)
Directed by Josef von Sternberg
Starring Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, Ona Munson, Victor Mature and Phyllis Brooks
USA: UR
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

Directed by the talented Josef von Sternberg, this is one of those classic black and white dramas that you see running late on one of your local channel's "Late Show Movie". But don't pass The Shanghai Gesture up, it deserves to be singled out for the nice camerawork and some excellent performances.

Like many films of it's kind, the overly dramatic plot is a mess. A young gal named Poppy visits a Shanghai casino owned by "Mother" Gin Sling. Gin Sling is battling Sir Guy Charteris, a real estate magnate that has bought up huge portions of Shangha. She stands in his way so he tells her to close her business by Chinese New Year. Gin Sling realizes that Poppy is Charteris' daughter so she encourages her gambling addiction. Before long, Poppy is deeply in debt to Gin Sling. Advantage: Gin Sling. But Sir Guy Charteris is not easily defeated and he has some tricks of his own up his sleeve.

A solid B-movie classic, The Shanghai Gesture is rarely mentioned in the same company as The Blue Angel and Casablanca, but it certainly aims to fit in that mold. Sure, it falls way short, but you could do a lot worse.

Looking for a nice old black and white drama with intrigue and a slight touch of film noir? The Shanghai Gesture should do the trick.

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