Margot Robbie is best known for her onscreen roles in films like The Wolf of Wall Street, I, Tonya, and Birds of Prey, but she's also made a name for herself as a producer recently. One such vehicle that sees her work on both sides of the camera is Dreamland, a crime drama set against the backdrop of the Dust Bowl. Having its premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, the movie is finally being made available to general audiences. In a year that's been short on notable releases, the hope was Dreamland would be able to help fill the void, but it doesn't hit all of its marks. Dreamland is a fairly straightforward crime saga that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but is still enjoyable thanks to Robbie and its production values.
Dreamland follows Eugene Evans (Finn Cole), a young man living on a farm with his mother Olivia (Kerry Condon), stepfather George (Travis Fimmel) and half-sister Phoebe (Darby Camp). Eugene is a fan of reading stories about bank robbers, and dreams of what it must be like to live the life of a criminal. His life changes when he finds outlaw fugitive Allison Wells (Robbie) hiding in his family's barn. Rather than turning Allison in for a sizable bounty, Eugene considers helping her escape to Mexico and receiving an even larger financial reward.
The Dreamland script by Nicolaas Zwart is serviceable, but there are a few shortcomings that prevent the film from realizing its full potential. There are a number of threads, such as Eugene's relationship with his younger sister or the blossoming romance between Eugene and Allison, that would be a strong foundation for the movie's emotional core. The issue is they are mostly underdeveloped, negatively affecting the impact of these scenes. Viewers see glimpses of compelling material (Phoebe and Eugene have some cute and emotional interactions), but there isn't enough to stick the landing. This is very apparent in the love story elements, which feels rushed. Dreamland, which runs well under two hours, could have benefitted from additional time to flesh out key aspects.
Where the movie succeeds is teleporting audiences back to the 1930s in the Dust Bowl south. The period-accurate costumes and production design do a great job of replicating that era, giving Dreamland the look and feel of a work from the past. It may not be the most comprehensive exploration of the time period, but still works as a snapshot of what life was like back then. Director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte also gives Dreamland a bit of a visual flair, particularly in the use of cutting between reality and a character's fantasy to underscore specific emotions. Dreamland may primarily be seen on TV screens at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it boasts cinematic qualities and doesn't ever come across as cheap. This isn't to say it's a must-see on the big screen, but the crew did an excellent job across the board.
Robbie, perhaps by the nature of her star power, leaves the biggest impression out of the cast. She comes across as the ideal choice to play Allison, who Eugene views as a mythical, larger-than-life figure from the headlines. Robbie's chemistry with Cole isn't always apparent, though Cole does a good enough job portraying a love-struck farm boy who's in over his head. Even if the romance isn't always convincing, it's easy to see how someone like Eugene could fall for Allison, and the two do have some strong moments together. As for the supporting cast, those roles are largely underwritten and fill various archetypes (i.e. George is the disciplinarian stepfather, Phoebe is the adoring younger sister fond of her brother). There isn't much on the page for the likes of Fimmel, Camp, and Condon to work with, but they all fit their parts well and are solid.
It's probably for the best Dreamland is hitting on-demand platforms around the same time as its limited theatrical release. In a normal year, this is the kind of movie that would get lost in the shuffle - especially since the fall typically sees a number of Oscar contenders competing for attention. While Dreamland has some positive merits, it probably isn't going to be in the running for major awards (even in this weird, COVID-affected season). It stands a better chance of catching on with its niche audience in living rooms; fans of crime dramas and Robbie may find something to latch onto, but Dreamland is pretty standard fare when it could have been slightly more compelling.
Dreamland is now open in U.S. theaters and hits VOD on November 17. It runs 98 minutes and is rated R for some violence, language, and sexuality/nudity.
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