Behind the Movie Dream: Versatile Rajendra Prasad has become too selective these days and a film from him is generally considered different. With no buzz and no hype, 'Dream' is released today and let us see what is this science all about?
In the Movie Dream: Rajendra Prasad (Rajendra Prasad) is a retired Army Officer residing in a gated community with his wife (Jayashree). RP has a strange psychic dis-order of 'Delusion' which troubles him in the form of terrible dreams. He is unable to differentiate between what is happening in reality and what is he dreaming? This makes RP lead a poor social life sticking to playing of Computer War Games isolated in his house. The only person who connects with the life of RP is his wife.
Life takes an unusual turn when RP's close friend cum Psychiatrist Dr. Nagendra Prasad advises him to mingle with people in the colony. More the people RP sees around, the length and intensity in his dream increases finally leading to his tragic and dreadful death. What was that particular dream is the real core element of this 'Dream.'
Values & Out of the Movie Dream: The novel point of experimenting with a 'Dream' by itself makes this venture disconnected from general audience. The point is unique but execution wise, the tardy pace which director Bhavani Shankar maintained is troublesome for the viewers. However, all the lag and lengthy shots of first half fall into right place during last half an hour of climax. Camera work of Ravi Kumar Nerla has a documentary touch while editing of Baswa Paidi Reddy is interetsing in last half an hour. Rajesh's background music is in tune with the subject. Production values are okay and Kaipas film production house are worth appreciative for betting on a complete odd plot.
Performance wise, this is completely a one man show of Rajendra Prasad. His enormous screen presence is what makes audience to bear the major portion of movie. The variety of costumes and hair styles makes RP's characterization more exciting. However, there are very few dialogues as Bhavani Shanker cooked this as purely a visual meal.
Common audience who are addicted to commercial movies with no innovative themes can never sync into this kind of experiments. Educating the viewer on Dreams is a subjective matter of science. But, describing the three stages in sleep as 'Pre REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Stage,' 'REM Stage' and 'Deep Sleep Stage' might raise some sort of interest to google a bit on Dreaming dis-orders. Director succeeded in this area leaving an impact on the mind state of patrons. The lighting schema of Monochromatic Color and Day Coloring used to discriminate the episodes and behavior of characters stood as an exercise of new ground for camera department.
Strictly speaking, what ever the dragged disgustive episodes (even I thought of Editor might have fell a sleep before sending the final copy for screening) placed in first half taken so lightly will find justification once lock sets to release in second half. So, this movie is not recommended for common or time-pass viewing. You need to have exhaustive patience although length is almost just 2 hours.
May be, our critics will praise this kind of demiurgic thoughts if presented by a Hollywood technician or a Bollywood director. Surely, director Bhavani Shankar's frame of thought is a big bouncer for us. So, commercial success is a distant 'Dream' for this 'Dream.'
Watch this only if you want to stir your soul on an odd idea or encourage the new ideas of young talents coming into contemporary Telugu cinema.
Cinejosh Verdict of the Movie Dream: Creative, Haunting and a Dangerous Dream.
Reviewed by Srivaas