Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams is due for release on 05/03/2007 and we have been given a copy to Review. The film follows the last eight years of the life of Patsy Cline, and stars Ed Harris and Jessica Lange.
Movie:
It seems strange to me that for someone who’s singing career was relatively short that the name Patsy Cline is so well known; even I know her name, and I am no country music fan. But known she is and this 1985 biopic pays homage to her. Well almost. The film itself only covers her life from 1956 through to 1963 when she died, along with her manager and two other country stars, in a plane crash.
The film begins with Charlie Dick (Ed Harris (with hair) looking enviously toward to woman that would eventually be his wife as she is singing in a club. Charlie manages to look past the reddest outfit in the world to a woman that he both admires for her looks and her singing, and he makes a play for Patsy, Initially she rejects him but she eventually gets his girl when she leaves her first husband.
What follows is a not particularly inspiring movie about, if I’m honest, a not very inspiring life. After marrying Charlie she has a child although her career gets a boost from going on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts Show but her career goes on the back burner. For all his charm in the beginning he turns into an abusive drunk who beats Patsy, although her mother (Ann Wedgeworth) helps her through those dark times. She also gets her career back on track by hiring a manager but before she can make anything of it she is killed in a plane crash.
Not being a country fan, nor really a massive fan of Biographies this was quite difficult for me to get into although I have to agree that a number of the songs that I heard are OK. This may be in part because Lange lip-syncs her way through the songs so that we actually get to hear Cline’s dulcet tones rather than the actresses take on the songs. However, this lip-syncing doesn’t detract from her acting ability at all and she puts in a good feisty performance, although to be fair I would have no idea if she represented Patsy Cline in a realistic manner.
Ed Harris, who is one of my favourite actors, does a fine job as Charlie Dick. He goes from a likeable, charming, rugged factory worker to an abusive, nasty piece of work by the end of the film.
So with both main actors and most of the support actors giving fine performances it would seem odd of me to not recommend the film. I will say the film was not for me personally despite there being many admirable qualities; however it would appeal to fans of the woman herself or the music.
Picture and Sound:
I have not seen any previous releases of this movie so I have no idea if the picture quality has improved. This release however does look quite grainy and washed out, whether that was a conscious decision in order to make it look a bit more authentic I’m not sure. But as it was released in 1985 I suspect it is just the quality of the film stock. Saying that though a lot of the colours looked vibrant and bright.
Sound wise we have a Dolby 2.0 track and it is more than adequate for the job at hand, dialogue and singing alike are both clear.
Extras:
There are no extras on this release.
Overall:
I personally thought the film was average, although I do think that this movie will appeal to people in several areas: Patsy Cline fans, Biography fans and country music fans, although Cline and Country fans are probably one and the same.
With Thanks to Salim Adam for some minor alterations/assistance
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