Dream Scenario

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Lily Bird, Tim Meadows, Dylan Baker, Dylan Gelula, Michael Cera

Director: Kristopher Borgli

Life for mild-mannered family man and college professor Paul Matthews (Cage) is about to be turned upside down. He soon finds himself thrust into the public spotlight after an old girlfriend publishes an article saying that he keeps appearing in her dreams. Shortly after, his inbox flooded with messages from people claiming the same thing. These appearances aren't sinister, with Paul mostly appearing as a bystander just passing through in the background and doing nothing. Paul becomes a viral sensation and celebrity gaining national attention. While he loves being in the spotlight, he begins to lose those close to him as his wife Janet (Nicholson) begins to fear for his mental state. As the attention begins to sour, Paul must decide what he wants to save most, his family or his newfound celebrity.

After appearing in seemingly every direct-to-video movie known to man due to money issues, Cage has finally cleared his debt and begun to pick projects more in line with his interests. This has led to some critically acclaimed turns by the actor in recent movies like Mandy and Pig.

He continues his string of strong performances here with maybe one of my favorite of his since Adaptation. The actor perfectly toes the line between weirdly quirky and tragic, giving an incredibly sympathetic performance. He and Julianne Nicholson have a playful chemistry that perfectly captures what Paul has and begins to lose as the story progresses. While this isn't full on bonkers Cage, those who appreciate his weirder side will find a lot to enjoy in this too.

The movie isn't as wild as the trailers lead you to believe. The dream scenes are pretty brief, with the focus primarily being on Paul and his newfound celebrity and how it affects those around him. His first reaction to it is that now he is a "cool dad". It is easy to see when and why Paul's life will begin to unravel, especially during the uncomfortable scene with a woman who wants him to reenact her sexual scenario. While the dreams play a big part in the story, anyone really looking for answers as to why Paul is appearing in everyone's dreams will be disappointed. But that's not the point of the film really, which ultimately serves as a study of the quick rise and fall of celebrity that is all to prevalent in today's entertainment landscape. And it really works because of Cage.

Visually the movie is fun, making the most of its limited budget with the moments that happen in the dreams ranging from humorous to horrific. The movie does take a somewhat dark turn about halfway through which might catch people off guard considering how light-hearted the movie begins.

I quite enjoyed this one, largely due to Cage, and it is definitely one that could benefit from subsequent re-watches.

Grade: B+