8 August 2025.
DREAMS – OSLO STORIES *** (vo Norwegian)
Here is the second part of Norwegian writer and filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy about the intricacies of human feelings and relationships. Last week you may have seen “Sex/Desire”, this week is the turn of “Dreams/Rêves” (which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival), and next week, “Love/Amour”. Each film stands on its own and involves different characters and situations. And each is a serious and innovative way of delving into the nature of our sentiments seen through chance encounters and heart-to-heart talk.
“Dreams” concerns a young girl’s intense infatuation for her female teacher and her dreams of their relationship, which she puts into writing, ending up with quite a steamy tale. Things become complicated when she shows her manuscript to her grandmother, and finally her mother. Are all her intimate descriptions real or only a figment of her imagination?
Once again director Haugerud creates a very sensitive and fascinating portrait of budding emotions and varied reactions, not only of the student and the teacher, but also her concerned mother and grandmother. And all this through Haugerud’s speciality, conversations. Unfortunately the film shown here in the Suisse Romande has subtitles only in German and French.
FREAKIER FRIDAY *
Beware – this film is freaking awful! This supposed comedy is so frenetic, nerve-wracking and overacted, that it could win the infamous Raspberry (the Razzie!) for worst film of the year. The plot is about a grandmother (an over-excited Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter (Lindsay Lohan) and teenage granddaughter, who are going through love, marriage and moving-to-London issues. These are far too important changes in one go, especially when the new family will be composed of two teenage daughters who hate each other.
And then comes the silly magical switches of their four bodies during a sort of witchcraft seance – to better learn to live together. Oh, Lord….their characters are so muddled that you don’t know who’s who, which is which, and you give up caring. With frenzied editing and cliched can’t-get-more-American/Californian-than-this situations, you just feel like leaving. Be smart and just don’t go!
There are also 2 horror films (“Bring Her Back” and “Weapons”) and 1 violent French flick (“BADH”) being released this week that I will not be covering. I don’t wish to put them out there. What is our world coming to? Is it fiction mirroring reality, or vice-versa, which might be even worse, for its influence on young audiences.
Superb **** Very Good *** Good ** Mediocre * Miserable – no stars
By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
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