DREAM FOR AN INSOMNIAC (1998) Reviewed by Jerry Saravia August 1st, 2001
Roman Polanski once said that the best love stories are the tragic ones. I am inclined to agree. I also think ambiguous endings in love stories work, as is the case with Mike Nichols' fabulous "The Graduate." Then there are the forced happy endings, notably the finale of "Pretty Woman." "Dream for an Insomniac" is your standard, cookie-cutter formula crap where the happy ending is not only forced but also downright shameful.
The insomniac is Frankie (Ione Skye), an aspiring actress who has not had a decent night of sleep since she was six-years old. Since this story is meant to be a modern-day fairy-tale, I'll forgive that implausibility for the moment. Frankie lives above a coffee shop run by her Italian uncle (Seymour Cassel), who keeps Frank Sinatra pictures on the walls and constantly plays Old Blue Eyes' music. Frankie is convinced that once she leaves for L.A. with her best friend, Allison (Jennifer Aniston), she will find her dreamboat, someone with "the soul of a poet and eyes like Frank Sinatra." That is until a new employee of the coffee shop comes around named David (Mackenzie Astin), a wannabe writer with the blue eyes of Sinatra. He also happens to be full of quotations from Shakespeare and Sartre to pop-culture references. Frankie is instantly in love but how can she leave for L.A. in four days since she met her dreamboat?
I've never been in love but if I were, I would not fall so hard for someone like Frankie. Her character is shown to be a pessimist, overtly cynical and smug so how can she also be so optimistic about finding the right kind of man? And what kind of man is that supposed to be? One who can quote endlessly from different literary sources? The scene of Frankie and David's first meeting smacks of sentimental implausibilites. I am not sure if I would be crazy about someone who feels that if you can quote from the literary gods and can keep up with her stream of quotes, then you are worthy. The whole scene as directed by Tiffanie Debartolo is forced, romantic hogwash, as is most of the movie. The shift from black and white to color only enhances the lack of credibility.
There are revelations that can be seen coming from miles ahead of the cinema meter. Frankie's male cousin, Rob (Michael Landes) is homosexual but his father does not know it - their inevitable scene where Rob has to confess his nature is predictable. Then there is David's little secret, also foreseeable. And there is the stereotypical Generation X-er who can drink and eat anything he wants for free. And so on.
The one comic surprise that often took me out of my dull stupor is Jennifer Aniston. She plays the best friend, which is a considerable waste of her talents since she does the exact same role on her famous sitcom. Anytime Aniston showed up on screen, I was elated. Aniston is funny, engaging, sprightly - a real fireball that enlivens the proceedings and makes us wish her role had more development. If Frankie had been played by Aniston, I might have had more fun watching the film.
"Dream for an Insomniac" is fabricated, dull, formulaic, unsurprising, dishonest nonsense. Dishonest in that it wants to reinforce the belief that love at first sight still exists, even for two charismatic people who have no business being together. Watching Cassevettes regular Cassel spouting cliche-ridden dialogue is enough cause for a Cassevettes retrospective. And if you happen to be an insomniac, then this film will prove to be a dream come true.
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E-mail me with any questions, comments or general complaints at faustus_08520@yahoo.com or at Faust668@aol.com
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