Review of Sleep Dealer (2008) by Rosie G — 18 Aug 2009

Perhaps my opinions of this film might be biased by the strange sense of guilt I feel watching it, but in a way, I think my three star rating is both generous and honest........ the film is by no means as terrifyingly dystopic as Gilliam's "Brazil", nor as unsettlingly advanced as films like "Minority Report", but it does come off as plausible and a bit sad.

....... The acting was believable and practical, but never quite stands out as something truly masterful. The special effects, naturally, are not top notch, but luckily there is minimal CG, and the meager quality of the effects serves a blatant reminder that "Sleep Dealer" is, after all, an extrapolation of an already economically-troubled country.

The plot is fairly straightforward and yet touches on themes of guilt, retribution, and privacy. The ending, however, proved a bit unbelievable in a way, though by no means was it a disappointment. On the contrary, for those brief few moments, we're in the heart and mind of Memo, sharing in a sort of fanciful hope for the future.

...... It strikes me that the two main characters are aptly named: "Memo" evokes the word "memory", which indeed is a central part of this film. And Luz--which means "light"--in Spanish, historically can be both sinister and benevolent.

Think of the word "Lucifer", which loosely translates to "light bearer", or on the other hand, think of the mythical Prometheus, who like Lucifer, gifted humanity with the gift of fire, i.

E. "enlightenment".