‘Dream Scenario’
“Have you been dreaming about me?”
It’s a question asked by Paul Matthews, played to perfection by Nicolas Cage, in Kristoffer Borgli’s newest surreal dark comedy, Dream Scenario. And the answer to that question? Yes. In fact, millions of people around the world have!
In a bizarre, Luis Buñuel-esque turn of events, Paul Matthews – a painfully average, but lovable professor – finds himself the subject of a global phenomenon: everyone is dreaming of him! Or more aptly put, he just kind of happens to bein everyone’s dreams. He’s just there.
This revelation brings some much-needed excitement to Paul’s life. From zero to hero in one dream-filled night. Well, maybe hero is overstating it. Because frankly, most of these dreams are more akin to nightmares, anxiety filled scenarios depicting terrible situations in which Paul just shows up and… does nothing. Always in his easily forgettable sweater and slacks, with his innocuous little smile, Paul witnesses, walks by, and ignores the pleas of the terrified dreamers.
It’s a reflection of his own insecurity. He’s not really doing anything with his life. He’s a tenured professor, but he wants more than that – specifically, to publish his book on ant theory. He sees this new five minutes of fame as his chance to further his career. He’s not content just being someone’s dream wallpaper.
Because is there anything worse than just passively existing, lost in the crowd? Well, maybe being Freddy Krueger is worse. Careful what you wish for, Paul! The movie takes a dark turn when Paul goes from passive observer to violent terrorizer. Just when he’s getting the hang of being everyone’s favorite Dream Guy, he is just as quickly ostracized by the community when his dream self-starts becoming ultra-violent. The flip side to fame is the target you paint on your back.
Kristoffer Borgli, an L.A.-based Norwegian filmmaker, seems most comfortable when he’s satirizing the culture, drawing out the dark and uncomfortable elements that many would rather keep hidden, reveling in those squeamish moments that would make most people cringe and turn away. In his previous film, Sick of Myself, a young woman goes to alarming lengths to be famous – or at least culturally relevant – going as far as to take dangerous drugs knowing that they will cause her skin to melt off her body, all in a conceited effort to get people to notice her. It’s a hilarious, hair raising, cringe inducing, sharp and dark satire of our culture of narcissism and the sad desperate attempts to be at the top of the attention Olympics.
And like that film, Dream Scenario is also about being noticed; about being seen and perceived by others, and the risks that come along with it. It’s about our attempts to control how people see us, and the pointless attempts at doing so. It’s our social media obsessed culture in a nutshell. But in Dream Scenario, Matthews is a hapless nobody thrust from the safety of the pack and into the limelight, whereas in Sick of Myself, the vain protagonist forces the issue. The thing is, the results are nearly the same.
Borgli follows in the footsteps of other European provoc-auteurs, an amalgamation of Michael Haneke, Lars Von Trier, and Yorgos Lanthimos – with just a dash of Charlie Kaufman. Cold, distant, sharp, disturbing, funny, surreal, and with moments of unflinching violence. And Cage excels in these types of absurd roles, where he’s allowed the freedom to explore difficult, compelling places, and show off his incredible range.
It’s a film that speaks to our fears and insecurities, of a groupthink culture that values, above all else, being seen, digested, and regurgitated. It reflects a world where being known is both currency and risk, while being in the pack is safety and comfort; and where being a pariah – or worse, forgotten – is the ultimate death sentence. Do your dreams a favor, and check out this flick!
Dream Scenario is playing at Metropolitan Paseo Nuevo 4 Cinemas, The Hitchcock Cinema & Public House (Metropolitan Theatres), and Metropolitan Camino Real Cinemas.
