Part of the 20th Annual Israeli Film Festival, "Henry's
Dream," interweaves the conflicts of several families, both
real and imaginary. The players involved discover that only
by enacting both the truth and fiction can old demons be
freed.
Henry (Menashe Noy) works in the equipment room of an Israeli
film school. Once a professional technician in the film
industry, he exasperates the pompous teachers by negating
their "empty"
theories to the students. The kids respect this sage, and
it infuriates the teachers.
The Teachers mock Henry, leading him to a decision; he
must make his own film.
Henry actually began a film many years ago, but during
filming, his wife and their son Ami (Yonatan Hashiloni)
were in a
car accident. The death of his wife paralyzed him creatively
and he could never return. Now remarried with a new child,
Henry must return to his passion to prove his worth to
himself and his family.
Ami, now an adolescent, appears fine but a deep pain
remains inside his soul, one hindered by his frail relationship
with his father.
Into this family drama arrives Geula, (Tahel Ran), a
wheelchair-bound film student who has taken her only
family's tragedies
and reworked them into an espionage thriller. The script
tells
the true and harrowing story of Geula's father and
twin's murder.
For the role of the Geula's grief stricken younger
brother, Henry hires his own son, hoping to forge a
stronger relationship
with Ami.
Familial conflict intensify when Henry meets the man
upon which Ami's role is based . The Geula 's brother,
Schmuel,
who resides in an institution, unravels another mystery
for Henry, only complicating his film and his connection
with
his son.
Writer/Director Eitan Green fills "Henry's Dream"
with many layers of inter-relationships and the inner
workings
of independent
filmmaking. Green details the mechanics of filmmaking
(dealing with location and equipment problems), and
of acting (Henry
teaching his son how to cry). He also illuminates
the chores and joys of being a parent, the gestures
of
love, and the
responsibility of aiding in their healing. The correlations
between the script and real life intercept particularly
when Henry focuses on why the son in the script is
depressed, not recognizing that his own son's depression.
The script also creates surprises with some intriguing
reversals. As the stress of filmmaking haunts Henry's
sleepless nights, Amie begins to care for his
dad. It is the mentally slow Schmuel who unlocks his family's secrets
and even solves the filming's major location dilemma.
The cast is very strong, particularly Tamar Levi
Elder as Shirly, the blowsy redheaded production
assistant
with aspirations for making the first existential
porno film. When everything falls apart, Shirly shows great strength,
keeping everything together.
Yonatan Hashiloni displays great sensitivity as
the young boy who can't express his grief with
anything
but sound effects into a microphone.
His quiet moments
with his father and his final catharsis at the cast party are heart-wrenching.
Menashe Noy shows great compassion as the man trying to
realize his own dream, while still hoping to repair his
son's wounds. The scope
of emotions
(frustration,
anger, love, disappointment, hope) comes to a head as the project
crumbles. Noy brings empathy to his character's plight making Henry
easily relatable.
"Henry's Dream" is a universal film, a story that could
be told in any country. Humor and tenderness translate
into any language
and
"Henry's Dream" will
resonate with many struggling filmmakers and family members.
Grade: A-
If you enjoyed "Henry's Dream," check out the independent
comedy "Living in Oblivion," starring Steve Buscemi and Catherine
Keener |
