Review of What Dreams May Come (1998) by Theodora M — 18 Jan 2011

The film, "What Dreams May Come", is nothing less than visual poetry. Its beauty flows through every word, character and scene. It awakens its viewers' emotions in a way that very few other films have. Director Vincent Ward captures the rawness and exquisiteness of both pain and love through beautiful special effects and artistic graphics.

"What Dreams May Come" argues our traditional view of heaven and hell. We do not see clouds or fire but something more intriguing and horrifying than we could imagine. Our hero, played by Robin Williams, falls into the heaven he created. The viewer can only be in awe at this heaven's vibrant colors and gorgeous landscape. However, the hell he eventually wanders into shows the tormented bodies and homes of its inhabitants. We are pulled into timeless art depicting the essence of the human imagination. The depressed and hopeless wife played by Annabella Sciorra had created this place. What heaven will await us? Or what hell for that matter? We can only hope that our imagination and desires can take us to a paradise this magnificent. We see their timeless love crossing over all boundaries. Williams makes a surprising and successful break from his usual comedic roles to go through thick and thin, hell and back, for the one he loves. Cuba Gooding Jr. also plays a powerful role as Williams's guide through the afterlife.

The dialogue describes in detail the depth of emotions. The characters describe in beautiful prose their grief, desperation, happiness and so on. Their actions and words vividly communicate the physical and emotional ordeals that they experience.

"What Dreams May Come" has fluently captured the essence of being human. It depicts both our repugnance and exquisiteness. This movie illustrates how we find refuge in each other. This rock-solid cast and technical crew artfully portray how underneath our routine, our homes and our bodies we are inherently fragile, yet driven.