Dream for an Insomniac

I admit I was a bit worried about seeing this film...lets face it, the cast alone sent out warning flares...An 80's teen movie star, Rachel from 'Friends' and some guy who happened to be the brother of another 80's teen movie star!! I cringed at the thought when a friend wanted to hire the movie, but I thought 'what the hey, you only live once'. And am I glad I hired it or what?? Ione Skye was perfect as Frankie, Mackenzie Astin is gorgeous as David, and don't let me forget their chemistry - they're perfect together....and I'm not forgetting Jennifer Aniston, who proved she could shake off her Rachel stigma and become someone completely different. But it's not just the cast, the story is completely fresh, the music is fabulous and I got enough memorable quotes to last me a lifetime!! This movie is a must see, for anybody who believes in love, destiny and waiting for Mr Right.

I just watched About a Boy; a movie about a man living off his father's singular hit. Do we have the same thing here? Writer/director Tiffanie DeBartolo only did this one film. It is a good one, and I can't understand why there has been no followup.

It may have been a little corny at times - a search for a may with the eyes and soul of Sinatra, but Ione Skye (Girls in Prison, Guncrazy, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon) does a really great job as the dreamer that doesn't want to settle. As she says, "Pussy, pussy, pussy. pussy. We're all pussies. It's what we have to overcome in life, our pussiness." So true! It was also the best performance I have seen by Jennifer Aniston outside of "Friends." Maybe it was because she did it during the "Friends" period.

It was a cute movie, a little corny at times, but well worth watching.

While the acting gets a little corny at times, the vibe is definitely prevalent in this movie. It's got a good feeling. Simple plot, easy to follow, and while some of the time I found myself looking at my shoes, I was drawn into it. By the time Frankie meets David, I was hooked. The beginning is a little slow, and that's lethal for those out there with ADD. But I know for sure that myself as well as most of my friends have wished for the type of relationship Frankie and David have in this flick. You have seen the physical dramas where the girl is kidnapped and needs rescuing, and you've seen the emotional dramas where the girl is in the abusive relationship and he saves her from it and you've seen the really far-fetched movies where there's some kind of Monster/ Cyborg/ Evil Psycho trying to Kill/ Maim/ Eat her and the lead male saves her from it, but rarely, if ever, do you see one of these well-written, not so surreal movies wherein the girl wears real clothes, people make mistakes, and things are sometimes awkward. On purpose.

It's refreshing to see, even if it means getting corny at times. There are few ways around cornball moments in life. Making life into film or even the dream of life and avoiding them is near impossible.

Personally, I'd recommend this movie to anyone looking for a serious, rewarding, real-life type fictional romance. Give it a chance. See the whole thing. And don't you DARE look at your shoes.

I'll admit that amongst my rabid obsession with horror films and morbid dramas, lies a deep love for witty romance films.

I loved this one.

The dialogue and characterization was surprisingly well done, and the story, although old, was played out well.

The cast was excellent, too. Ione Skye is so beautiful, and very talented. She played the lonely girl perfectly. I cannot imagine a better actress for her part...her eyes said something to me while watching, as did her heart and soul she put into this role. Jennifer Aniston, whom I'm not a big fan of, was actually well written, and her knack for switching accents though out the film was quite funny. The standout character was David, played by Mackenzie Astin.

He's a nice guy, plain and simple. His dialogue was witty, charming, and never went over the pretentious mark. His character actually meant something to me, and for once, I agreed with his role. I think he has a bright future ahead of him, and I even think he is a better actor than his older sibling, Sean.

I loved the romance that built between David and Frankie. Even though we have seen this kind of mushy clap trap on screen several times before, it just seemed to work differently here.

Overall, this is a surprisingly sweet, well acted and non-pretentious romance film that deserves more recognition.

I loved it, very much.

Dream for an Insomniac is not a bad movie, nor is it a particularly good one. Writer/Director DeBartolo in her first attempt at doing either produces a film that has bright moments, a few good ideas, very little meaningful dialogue, and some moderately entertaining scenes.

The black-and-white to color transition when Frankie first meets David Schrader is perhaps the most metaphorical and artistic achievement this movie makes. It is unfortunate that it is neither touching as a metaphor nor very artistic.

The majority of the film centers around the interplay between Frankie and David. The interaction between the characters is labored and unbelievable, the dialogue being little more than witty banter and archaic quotes swapped back and forth. If DeBartolo had any intentions of the audience empathizing with the characters she failed to write them in such a way to elicit such empathy. Frankie remains reminiscent of a love-struck schoolgirl throughout the film, a glutton for punishment, while David Schrader feels two-faced, reluctant to leave his girlfriend but quite friendly and flirtatious with Frankie, who is quite obviously in love with him. If these characters existed in the real world, they would both seem too neurotic, emotionally unstable, needy, and self-centered to spend time getting to know. And yet in spite of this, DeBartolo manages to put together a film that is not terrible.

Aniston's character, an aspiring actress who speaks in false accents during conversations to become believable in them, provides a solid supporting character that is much needed throughout the film. Juice, the slacker musician, finds his way on screen just about exactly when some comic relief is due. Some of the conversations, especially the one concerning the Holy Trinity of rock and roll, seem similar to something that could actually be heard in the real world, or at least the world of Generation X. And the subplot of Rob, the coffee-shop waiter reluctant to tell his father that he is a practicing homosexual, is actually quite endearing and entertaining.

Dream for an Insomniac would have been a much better film had DeBartolo stepped down the massive intellectual undertones running rampant in the dialogue, given both main characters a healthy dose of Prozac, and focused on the basic but meaningful theme of romance in the 90s instead of showing off her obviously impressive knowledge of memorable quotes through her characters. If anything less than extraordinary is a waste of your time, then so is Dream for an Insomniac. If, however, you are willing to settle for a decent first attempt at a movie by a newcomer to writing and directing, lay down a couple of bucks for this film at your local video store.