Dreams depicted on film are always a tricky business. By definition, dreams have an ineffable quality that can't be captured. The more you define them, the less they seem to be dreams. "The Good Night" - an ambitious writing and directing debut by Jake Paltrow (brother of Gwyneth) - tells the story of Gary (Martin Freeman from BBC's "The Office"), a struggling songwriter who becomes obsessed with sleep after meeting the girls of his dreams...in his dreams. Dreams have played pivotal roles in films like 1998's treacly Robin Williams dud "What Dreams May Come" or 2000's J. Lo design-a-thon
"The Cell", as well as my personal favorite, 1984's Dennis Quaid-Kate Capshaw camp-fest, "Dreamscape". "The Good Night" has more in common with Michel Gondry's disappointingly precious
"The Science of Sleep". Both films feature men divorced from reality to an almost psychotic degree. And both ask us, unsuccessfully, to feel for them.
The great irony of "The Good Night" is that Gary's waking life is far more interesting than anything he dreams up. His chaste nocturnal visits with the beautiful, all-but-mute Anna (Penélope Cruz) consist mainly of plaintive stares and playful smooches. The film's best - and most gut-wrenching - moments are between Gary and live-in girlfriend Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow, happily embracing plainness) in their rental apartment. This is a relationship in tatters, and it's rendered so frankly that you wish the rest of the film explored it further rather than getting caught up in all the nightly nonsense. Ms. Paltrow and Mr. Freeman strike the perfect note of loveless tolerance (the wordless housekeeping rituals, the monotone "love yous").
Gary falls in with Mel (Danny DeVito, in a welcome grounded turn), an expert in something called "lucid dreaming" who says things like, "The human default setting is loneliness; sadness is a guarantee". Mel serves as a kind of "Ghost of Christmas Future" for Gary. When he sees Mel's run-down apartment, stuffed with old newspapers and half eaten canned food, you'd think Gary would wake up (so to speak). Alas, no. Even a hilariously disastrous run-in with the model (also played by Ms. Cruz) that subconsciously inspired Gary's dreams doesn't snap him out of it.
"The Good Night" may sound like a tough sell since the film is essentially about a man plunging into depression, but it's not only Mr. Freeman's boundless everyman appeal that keeps it afloat. There's also Mr. Paltrow's promisingly perceptive script and a lively cast rounded out by Simon Pegg (
"Shaun of the Dead" himself), nicely toning himself down to play Gary's longtime friend and former bandmate.
"The Good Night" has some clear trappings of a first-time writer. Gary's life is completely without joy. He's the ultimate passive protagonist; all he wants to do is nothing. Mr. Paltrow peppers the film with documentary interviews meant to shed light on Gary's past, but they're out of place. The film also lacks a sense of location - it exists in some hybrid of London (where it was filmed) and NY (where it ostensibly takes place). Still, "The Good Night" is a pleasant enough diversion, though it only skims the surface of its many ideas. Like a vivid dream, the more you try to remember it, the further it slips away. If nothing else, it's proof that Mr. Paltrow is destined for better films. At least, I hope so. A guy can dream, can't he?
