Dreams of a Life (2011)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	Interviews-Crew-Kevin Macdonald Interviews Carol Morley Interviews-Cast-Carol Morley Interviews Zawe Ashton Featurette-Recurring Dreams Featurette-Behind The Scenes-It's a Wrap Short Film-"I'm Not Here" by Carol Morley Theatrical Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	2011
Running Time	91:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Carol Morley
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Zawe Ashton Alix Luka-Cain Alistair Abrahams Mandy Allen Prue Almond Kim Bacon Daniel Roberts William Barthorpe Alison Campsie Catherine Clarke Michael Davies Alton Edwards
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	Barry Adamson

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     In The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the second book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, president of the Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox is exposed to the most horrible torture device to which an intelligent being can be subjected - The Total Perspective Vortex. "When you are put into the vortex you are given just one momentary glimpse of the entire unimaginable infinity of creation, and somewhere in it a tiny little mark, a microscopic dot on a microscopic dot, which says, "You are here"". Zaphod survives of course, as he is after all the centre of the universe but for most others the torture is unbearable. Imagine being shown clearly and un-mercilessly that you are entirely insignificant.

     Dreams of a Life, a documentary by British filmmaker Carol Morley bears no obvious relationship to the humorous escapades Of the Hitchhikers gang. Yet the film taps into the same central idea, the identical existential fear that maybe we could just quietly disappear and no one would notice.

     In 2003 Joyce Vincent, an attractive vivacious young Londoner of Grenadian/Indian heritage died in her small North London bedsit above a shopping mall. Almost 3 years later repossession agents broke into the apartment to evict her for non-payment of rent. What they found was shocking. Joyce, or what was left of her, was lying on the sofa in a dust covered surround. The television was on and had been speaking to no one for three years. The heating was on and Joyce was surrounded by half wrapped Christmas presents.

     The discovery shocked a nation. For sure, stories had emerged from time to time of lonely drifters and hermits having passed away and not being discovered for some time. But these were isolated, seemingly unloved individuals, those for whom time and personal problems had allowed to slip through the cracks of organised society. But here was a woman who was young, had many friends and had worked on and off in responsible jobs. She didn't meet the profile of a lonely death.

     Using interviews with friends (the family declined to participate) and reconstructions using actor Zawe Ashton, Morley puts together a disturbing story of how even in the age of mass communication somebody can just walk off the map. It would be a spoiler to talk about the interviews and the reactions of the various friends to her demise. Each has their own explanation of how she came adrift but all of them question why they didn't make that effort to connect.

     At the outset Morley shows us a cleverly worded letter from the British coroner's office which explains their decision not to provide information from the official file on the basis that "what is of interest to the public is not necessarily of public interest". It is no doubt an appropriate response but those wandering into this documentary with the sole desire of finding out exactly how and why Joyce died will be disappointed. This is a film more about modern disconnection than the life and death of one person.

     Dreams of a Life is an intriguing and often moving documentary which might yet get you to reconnect with that friend you haven't spoken to in ages…

Video

     Dreams of a Life is presented on DVD at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio consistent with the original aspect ratio. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     The film consists of three types of footage - talking heads interviews, acted reconstructions and location shots. All are rendered pretty well in this transfer.

     The flesh tones and level of detail in the interview footage is excellent throughout. The reconstructions are shot in a slightly soft and hazy style to suggest they belong in the past.

     The colours are good throughout and there are no technical problems with the transfer.

     There are subtitles in English for the Hearing Impaired which give a good account of on-screen action.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

     Dreams of a Life carries a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack running at 224 Kb/s.

     This is perfectly adequate for a film that largely consists of talking heads footage. The dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Zawe Ashton is largely silent or singing in her scenes. Director Carol Morley uses music as part of the method of establishing Joyce's character. There are a few musical numbers in the film which are well presented.

     Other music comes from various sources including a wonderful piece by former Bad Seed Barry Adamson.

Audio Ratings Summary

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     There are a few extras thrown in with this package.

I'm Not Here (1994) (13.43)

     A short film by Carol Morley. A disturbing short film about consumerism and the "checkout chicks". Raw but effective.

When Carol Met Kevin (23.16)

     Filmmaker Kevin MacDonald interviews Morley about the film covering the narrative structure, the history of the project and the difficulties she faced in putting together the finished film.

Recurring Dreams (27.04)

     A fairly lengthy feature which goes behind the film and looks at the filmmaking process. There are lots of production scenes and some added interview footage with the key people in Joyce's life.

Behind the Scenes with Zawe Ashton (10.31)

     The actress takes us onto the set where she goofs around with the production crew.

Carol Interviews Zawe (12.57)

     An interview with the star about her thoughts on the role and the production.

It's A Wrap (3.01)

     Wrapping the final shot brings joy and tears to the crew.

Theatrical Trailer (2.10)

     The entertaining trailer.

    This appears to be identical to the Region 2 UK release. Buy local.

     Dreams of a Life is fascinating on its own terms as a meditation on loneliness and disconnection in the big city. I still have that nagging feeling, however, that a filmmaker like Werner Herzog might just have got the family members and others to talk perhaps getting an insight into the last years of Joyce's life.

     The DVD looks and sounds quite fine and whilst the extras material is a little ragged it is fairly voluminous.

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Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall