Waking from a bad reality [Via Dreams]

If I were teaching film school, I’d lay down a couple of hard and fast rules for budding filmmakers:

1. Tell your story in a linear timeline (i.e. no flashbacks).
2. Don’t set any of your scenes outside at night.
3. Avoid dream sequences.

Why? Because these are difficult things to do well. Within the constraints of an independent film, they’re nearly impossible.

In the short film Via Dreams, director Rodney Wess tackles the idea of the dream sequence as reality and reality as a dream sequence. The result is a film that tries to be something grand and misses.

Claudia (Ann M. Lynn) argues with her husband about the rift in their marriage in the short film Via Dreams. ©2010 R.W. Films LLC.

Via Dreams centers on an estranged husband and wife who, during an argument while driving at night, hit a girl with their car. Roland (Harris Michaels) forces them to flee the scene of the crime, but Claudia (Ann M. Lynn) wants to notify the authorities. As the two begin to physically struggle, Claudia wakes up in bed. But she’s convinced that the events of her dream really happened and her husband is gaslighting her.

Independent filmmakers have to do everything on a shoestring budget. Unlike painting or writing, for example, the cost of producing a film is moderately prohibitive. Even a short film can be costly unless one does most of the work, as Wess has done by being writer, director, producer, cinematographer, casting director, editor, and lead light technician. Unfortunately, by taking so much responsibility, Wess may have let the production suffer.

Via Dreams was shot in HD. Even so, the film — much of which takes place at night — is hard to see. The night scenes are poorly lit, and there are moments when I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be seeing.

The dialogue is awkward, which may be as much the fault of the actors as the writing. I never felt they were committed to their characters. The only exception to this was Lynn, who gave a decent performance considering what she had to work with.

The story is cliche, so much so that one of the characters explains what’s happening by comparing it to an episode of The Twilight Zone. Oh, if only.

Instead of being innovative, the story fails on two counts. First, it’s trite to have a character who wakes up from a dream wondering if they’re really awake (or if the dream was really a dream). Unless the director has something really interesting to bring to it, like Christopher Nolan did with Inception, it should be avoided. Second, when it does get around to suggesting a cause for what’s happening, the film doesn’t seem to follow its own rules. (I can’t say much more without giving away the entire story.)

Via Dreams is, quite simply, striving to be something great in a short time span. Within the constraints of a short film, however, the characters do not have time to develop. The pacing seems rushed. And the logic of the story ultimately falls apart.

Watch the Via Dreams trailer