To Dream

This did have some potential, if only we could have heard what was being said! The audio recording and mixing is terrible. That's not just a gripe, it actually means that half the time we are left to guess what "Luke" (Edward Hayter) and lifelong friend "Tommy" (Freddie Thorp) are saying and at times that is just plain irritating. These two men have a dream. That is to escape the mundanity and hopelessness of their London existence and head to America. The latter lad is a bit reckless, and is gradually becoming subsumed into a world of pretty crime and drug dealing. The only thing that holds him back is his devotion for his friend. "Luke" lives with his parents, is regularly thumped by his dad and has a girlfriend "Nikki" (Diana Vickers) with whom he struggles to quite commit, if you see what I mean. Anyway, "Tommy" isn't a fan of her, indeed the green eyed monster is never far away and ultimately that leads him to start a domino effect of lies that could well have perilous consequences for just about everyone. It's really a short story, this, and though both Hayter and Thorp work well enough when they are together on screen, the rest of this struggles to stand out amongst a slew of gritty London street dramas that (homo)sexualises a plot that we've seen plenty of times before. It's clearly been done of a minimal budget and the visuals work fine, as does the thrust of a story of blind loyalty and irresponsibility, but once it's set up the plot simply runs out of steam. In some ways it reminded me of "Shank" (2009) only not as characterful or gritty.

To Dream is such an amazing movie, I have watched it so many times. I love to see the emotional side of the characters and the actors played them so well, especially for Luke in the mirror scene, very emotional and feel so real. Everything feels real and it doesn't even look like it's a movie but more like reality. Really love the hairstyle of Lex. Everyone has their own stories that involves real struggle in life. Escaping reality into daydreaming is something I can relate. Actually, Luke is quite a lot like me so it's definitely a reason I feel so connected to him. I can truly feel his pain and this movie is special to me as its really rare for me to feel the emotions of characters but in this case I can feel every single scenes. I may not watch it everyday but when I watch it it can be multiple times a day. I'd love to be able to meet all the cast and crew someday. They all done a great job, the music, the editing,... wished I could have been to the premiere but only discovered this movie last year.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Proper indie flick that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Authentic view of rebellious youth and the confines of growing up in poverty and abuse.

The pace, direction and cinematography make you feel like you were living it with them and the chemistry between the two leads was incredible. All of the cast really impressed and I think several of them have since gone on to star in major films and shows.

I saw in an interview that this was the director's debut feature and the budget was under £50k, which is insane, given the quality of the end result.

All in all, highly recommended and keen to see what Albarelli shoots next.

! "To Dream" is a captivating movie from 2016 that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. The story follows 2 individuals who are connected by their shared dreams and the challenges they face in pursuit of their desires. The performances are outstanding, and the cinematography beautifully captures the dream sequences. It's a deep but powerful story that will leave you wishing for more. The film explores themes of ambition, love, and the power of imagination. Overall, "To Dream" is a thought-provoking and visually stunning movie that will leave you inspired. You should definitely check it out!