I'll See You in My Dreams (2015)

Directed by: Brett Haley
Country: USA

Movie Review: “I’ll See You in My Dreams”, the attentive sophomore feature by Brett Haley, is a heartfelt comedy-drama that meditates on loneliness, aging, and loss. The script, co-written by Haley and Marc Basch, focuses on Carol (Blythe Danner), a former songstress who has been a widow for 20 years and lives unworriedly in a serene high-class neighborhood of LA in the company of her faithful dog. In the first scenes of the film, we follow Carol’s sorrowfulness when the dog gets sick and has to be put to sleep. In addition to this mishap, a dauntless big black rat is seen strolling inside the house. In panic, she flees outside and ends up sleeping by the pool where she’s awakened the next morning by the new pool cleaner, Lloyd (Martin Starr). After an unlovely first contact, the latter not only becomes an agreeable interlocutor but a drinking buddy. However, and despite fond of music, this former poetry student shows to be a mediocre songwriter and an even worse singer. Apart from Lloyd, the distinctive Carol is far from idleness, hanging out with her three best girlfriends with whom she routinely plays cards and golf. The funniest moment of the film is when these ladies go shopping after vaporize marijuana. They often speculate about getting someone to date Carol, who reluctantly agrees to speed dating. Regardless the flop associated with the experience, she bumps into the spontaneous Bill (Sam Elliott) on her way out, and they exchange some flirtatious words. Bill is a wealthy man, with a strong monotone voice, whose wife left him a few years before and died afterward. Even testing the waters, the couple seems very comfortable and happy when together, which facilitates communication and tangible romance. Sadly, bad news knocks on Carol’s door once again, coinciding with the visit of her daughter. Presented through a delicate, thoughtful, and feminine angle, the film never gives up on hope, flowing agreeably but nonetheless unsurprisingly. Even if not majorly impactful, the narrative fluidity and Ms. Danner’s deeply felt performance provide us with the necessary for the film to be considered favorably.