Land of Dreams

Shirin Neshat is a celebrated visual artist famous for her multi-media installations at MOMA and elsewhere. Her visual hand is everywhere in this visually stunning film realizing a script by the great late surrealist, Jean-Claude Carrière (with Shoja Ansari). True to her other films, NeshaL resists providing easy and pat interpretations of her visual images or the storyline of the film. The visual settings of the film echo the title--Land of Dreams--with floating representations, starkly engaging characterizations, and varying contrastive landscapes. Sheila Vand is the accomplished "dreamer" and dream collector at the center of the film achieving multiple characterizations in a nuanced performance. Matt Dillon and Isabella. Rossellini add polished star power to the film. Mohammad. Ghaffari stands out and is immediately arresting as a mystical guide in a commune that may or may not be real. This is a film that should be seen more than once to plumb the depths of the emotional symbolism that is at the center of all dreams.

As in all of Shirin's work, and in the true spirit of surrealism, the film poetically questions the known and the unknown and our understanding of reality and dream. This film stays with you for a long time as it touches on the issues of being an immigrant, an artist, a patriot, a rebel, and a wonderer in search of identity and dreams. Wonderful performances by all and specially by Sheila Vand and her captivating eyes.

This is an arthouse movie that only gets bad reviews because people don't get the style. Being arthouse is not a saving grace and it doesn't excuse a badly made movie. This does not fall in this category.

The style is clear and consistent. The storytelling is unique but not random. Look forward to an intriguing journey into the quirkiness of a semi-dystopian but still charming and uplifting movie.

The acting appears wooden only as a stylistic choice. It is not. The characters are complex and immaculately portrayed.

While there is a level of political commentary, it does not dominate. This is a movie about identity, self-awareness and sticking to one's own reality, regardless of the "reality" the status quo tries to push on you.

Oh, and full of beautiful imagery in New Mexico.

Ok, i admit it, i lasted only 25 minutes before i gave up on this mess, but this movie is so bad i couldn't watch another minute of it. Look, if you gonna make a movie, at least try to give me reasons to stay and watch it till you start unraveling your deep, meaningful and though provoking scenario that is supposed to amaze me..or something. Well, it's simply nothing for me. 25 minutes in and nothing, I mean absolutely nothing happened...not even a decent sentence or conversation. Oh ffs, come on...! Since I am not a movie director, or a screen writer, or whatever, I do not know what the heck happens in their meeting rooms, but I know this: this movies fails so bad at every turn it has given me digestion problems. Stay away from it.

The production could be much better with even a lower budget. I can just feel that there are some sloppiness here and there. Also, the solo part of the leading actress is too straightforward.