Written and directed by Jude Rawlins, Alice and Albie meet when they show up at the same location with the same intention, to end their respective lives. Having ruined each other’s big exit, they begin to open up to one another, and in doing so they start to shed new light on their seemingly hopeless life circumstances. Starring: Rebecca Haroldson, Grant Gale, Amy Van Holland, Cheyenne Goode, Preshia Paulding, Stacy Heil, Josh Dady and Rob Merritt.
When we live in an age of advanced technology with abundant CGI and special effects, the value of keeping things simple can often be forgotten but not by Jude Rawlins. With Dream Time, Rawlins focuses on creating a pensive, poetic air as we follow two complicated characters, trying to figure out how to live a more peaceful life. The style is minimalist, using a lot of two-character shots to focus on the dialogue and their development, which is simple but effective.
Occasionally the writing can veer off into some melodramatic moments which slightly undercuts its sincerity but they’re small bumps in the road. There’s also a penchant for using poetry which is a nice choice to add to the overall atmosphere. Rawlins peppers things with a sense of humour to keep the tone from being overly dour, and there are some very well written lines that add great accent to their scenes.
Alice (Rebecca Haroldson) and Albie (Grant Gale) are complicated characters and that can hold the potential for very overt performances but thankfully Haroldson and Gale keep things more everyday. They tap into the day-to-day struggle in dealing with difficult issues, whether that be health, family or addiction. The back and forth between past and present is done well to build a gradual progression, not rushing but not dragging its feet and giving the actors that opportunity to enhance Dream Time’s reflective atmosphere.
Dream Time is an understated but layered drama, taking its characters on a wistful look back at their struggles. It can have the occasional melodramatic scene but for the most part, it plays things simpler and holds onto a sincere atmosphere both thematically and stylistically. The performances match that energy well and there’s a good flow to how the story moves.
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