Sleepwalk (1986) Reviews

• Pure delight

  UncleAimless2016-08-21

  I doubt Sara Driver's SLEEPWALK needs to go begging for favorable reviews, and I don't imagine many people who have seen, or who may be tempted to see, the film would bother looking up what the peanut gallery here at IMDb makes of it, but since there is currently only a single review here, and a negative one, I thought I should point out that SLEEPWALK is a beautiful, atmospheric film, in the rich minority tradition of the low-budget American cinema of uncanny mystery and poetry, imaginatively directed, gorgeously photographed, witty and clever, with immaculate performances by Suzanne Fletcher and the great Ann Magnuson. The big mystery surrounding the heroine's translation assignment never fully becomes clear, which I can imagine would be frustrating for some, but the film is not meant to work on a straight plot level, and viewers have to be willing to let go and just go with it, in a pure visual poetry way.

• Preposterous comedy with terrible acting

  santos-juanluis2015-07-22

  This film is not intended to be a comedy, but three combined things would make you laugh. The crew is so dreadful, the plot so crappy and the screenplay so wacky that sometimes the only possible reaction is laughing. I know the film intends to be a mystery story with an Asian atmosphere but it fails completely. I would highlight two moments that are especially hilarious. The first one is a dialogue between Ecco and the protagonist. She ask what is the name of the Asian young woman. She replies "Ecco". "Ecco?" "Ecco, Ecco." "Ecco, Ecco?" "Ecco. Ecco" "Ecco". I understand is a reference to the mythological story about Echo but is simply preposterous or dumb, as you prefer. The other scene that is amazingly absurd, extremely bad played and that makes you laugh is when the bald French woman tells to the protagonist her son has been kidnapped. It's more or less like this: "-I have bad news. I have lost the car -Where is Jimmy? -He has been kidnapped. Sorry, would you forgive me? -We have to go to the police. -We cannot denounce it. I have not driving license, the car is not insured, I am an illegal immigrant and I have not hair at all." If this is a serious film I am the queen of England. Sara Driver, shame on you!