šæ80: Dream Scenario
This week, Nicolas Cage's hidden family ties and two international trailers vying for an Oscar.
āDreams feel real while weāre in them. Itās only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.ā
~ Inception, 2010
Mind the gapā¦
Iāve not watched a whole lot of films recently as Iāve been far too busy rewatching Breaking Bad and catching up on the final season of Top Boy, but I did finally convince sub-editor Mia to watch Train to Busan. I say āconvinceā but the truth is sheās been worn down by me for the past six months, but, funnily enough, I think she enjoyed it more than I did.
I was expecting something like The Raid with zombies, but the blood, gore and action were surprisingly tame, which explains the 15 rating. It also puts more effort into the plot than I was expecting, with a wide variety of characters and some genuinely tense moments that didnāt even involve the undead.
Itās a solid zombie movie, that only takes itself slightly more seriously than it should. Fortunately, any āseriousā moments are more laughable than they are cringe-worthy.
If youāre in the UK, you can watch Train to Busan for free via Sky Cinema, or pay Ā£3.49 to watch it on Amazon Prime. However, Prime subscribers in the US can watch it for free.
Now for the headlines:
Ćdith Piafās voice has been recreated by AI so that āsheā can narrate her own biopic. Read more.
Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting next yearās Oscars. Read more.
Looking for a new Christmas film to watch with kids this year? Merry Little Batman looks funny and adorable. Watch the trailer.
And finally, itās not movie news, but Gwenyth Paltrowās ski trial has inspired a new London musical. Read more.
Upcoming Releases
The Teachersā Lounge
UK: TBC // USA: TBC
The latest film from Oscar-winning director Ä°lker Ćatak has been chosen as Germanyās entry for the 96th Academy Awards. In it, the relaxed rapport that idealistic teacher Carla (Leonie Benesch) has with her students is put under stress when a series of thefts occur at the school.
This one looks really good.
Perfect Days
UK: 9 February // USA: 10 November
Japanās Oscar entry for Best International Film stars KÅji Yakusho as Hirayama, a toilet cleaner in Tokyo who is seemingly content with his simple life and love for music and books. Directed by Wim Wenders, the film gradually reveals Hirayamaās past through a series of unexpected encounters.
Fact of the week
This weekās fact was going to be about Christopher Nolanās preference for practical effects over CGI, and how Inception used just 500 visual effect shots, which isnāt as many as it soundsā¦ but weāve found something much more interesting.
It turns out that Nicolas Cage changed his last name early in his career. In a 2022 interview with Wired, he said, āPeople would not stop saying things like, āI love the smell of Nicolas in the morning.ā
Why did people say that, we hear you ask? Because his real name is Nicolas Coppola, because his uncle is the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola! In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cage even talks about trying to convince his uncle to cast him as Vincent Corleone ā a part that was given to Andy Garcia.
Review: Dream Scenario
Star rating:
4 (out of 5)
Where to watch:Ā
USA: Only in cinemas
UK: Only in cinemas
Runtime:
1hr 40m
Director:
Kristoffer Borgli
Blurb:Ā
Hapless family man Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams, which soon become nightmares.
The review (NO spoilers):
The latest surreal satire from A24, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, is a well-executed comedy that is a shade darker than the trailer would have you think.
It might be a stretch to call this film a character study, but itās not far off. In the beginning, Paul (Cage) is craving the recognition he feels he deserves, and when he finally does start getting recognised (albeit for the wrong reasons) we see just how it affects him and his family.
So, on the one hand, itās a cautionary tale about wanting more. On the other, it puts social media and āgoing viralā under the microscope.
Nicolas Cage is excellent as a remarkable nobody, a stark contrast to his last film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (which we watched, so you donāt have to). He is the epitome of the embarrassing dad and uncool professor. With no grace or humility, his entire being is irksome and whiney, which of course makes him the perfect protagonist for such a film.
There are a good number of laugh-out-loud moments because it is genuinely funny ā but not in the pretentious way that some surrealist films come across (at least for me). The humour is subtle and awkward (in a good way), rather than being in your face.
Most importantly, it isnāt weird for weirdās sake. This might be a divisive statement, but films like Iām Thinking of Ending Things and Beau Is Afraid, among others, just donāt do it for me. Surrealism can be great until it gets in the way of the plot, which is when I clock off. Fortunately, Borgli gets it just right.
If youāre anything like me, donāt let the idea of surrealism put you off seeing this film. Borgliās script and direction do a lot to keep it grounded while Cage will have you laughing out loud more than once.
Scroll down to see whatās in the next issue.
If you likedĀ Dream Scenarioā¦
Being John Malkovich
1999 | UK: Amazon Prime (Ā£2.49) // USA: Amazon Prime ($3.99)
Few major films explore concepts as original as Dream Scenario and pull it off, but Being John Malkovich is one of them. Passionate but unsatisfied puppeteer Craig (John Cusack) finds a door that puts him inside the mind of John Malkovich (John Malkovich).
Apologies for the sub-par picture quality, somehow itās the best trailer we could find.
In the next issue:
Napoleon
UK: 22 November // USA: 22 November |Ā Watch the Trailer
