Dreaming & Dying (2023)Movie Review: What’s constant in our hearts and minds is the love that is genuine, regardless of the passage of time or distance. It is without doubt that the emotions related to true love are absolute, which nurtures an individual to strive for a romantic relationship. However, there are a few individuals who would prefer to keep their emotions locked, perhaps due to the fear of rejection that stops them from expressing their love. For those, the reasonable way to keep life going is by choosing a safer method: dreaming.
Nelson Yeo’s “Dreaming & Dying” (2023) starts with a planned school reunion with only three middle-aged individuals showing up: a couple and a man who know each other very well. The husband is a self-centered windbag, occupying the whole conversation most of the time. With sarcasm coursing through his veins, he exudes an air of dominance among them. Heng, the second guy, is the polar opposite of the husband, both psychologically and physically.
Heng seems more relaxed, fit, and positively vibed, projecting an example of a desirable man. Thus, the wife is eager to strike up a conversation with Heng the second he shows up. This then leads to a revelation that the wife has buried her love for Heng for a matter of years, and she decides to express it in this reunion. Subsequently, director Nelson Yeo’s unconventional direction takes a straightforward plot and twists it into a labyrinth of dreams, fantasies, and desires. All the characters have been trapped in their own unique dream world, where sadness and memories predominate.
Focusing on the husband, we are initially introduced to the adverse side of him due to his loudmouth characteristics and impatient behavior. Yet, there are many hidden sides to the character that are encapsulated and shown in minimalistic shots. The husband seems to have an inferiority complex based on his physicality. This is clearly demonstrated in the character’s monologue, which goes, “I used to be handsome,” while he spends time with Heng.
In addition to his physical health issues, we frequently observe him in a state of exhaustion while he does his everyday duties. Although it is certain from the film that the husband is having some adverse health conditions, he is almost at the end of the line due to the exhaustion of enduring his life as well. Yeo exposes the audience to an individual who has mostly given up on progressing in life amid the quest for survival. On the other hand, the wife’s mind is plagued by a never-ending stream of unanswered questions. Yet, we are not exposed to the thoughts in a hearing form, but we witness the feel of the thoughts through her sorrowful stares and abrupt pauses.
This is evident from the scene where the wife walks by the seaside and immediately stares at the camera for an answer. The depression that lies in her is often expressed in silence. Moreover, we find ourselves entangled in a complex mental process that addresses unspoken feelings of love and guilt. Here, the director uses the concept of magical realism with the aid of the cinematographer, Lincoln Yeo, to express the inexpressible desires of all individuals.
One of the fantasies that made a massive impact in the film is the imaginative representation of Heng as a merman. We witness the merman struggling alone as he waits for an answer from his lover, who happens to be the lady from the reunion. Now that Heng is going through the same depression as the wife, he can feel the sadness that had previously affected her. Director Yeo employs the strategy of reverse psychology in order for the viewers to grasp the wife’s emotions fully.
The symbolic usage of a fish to represent the struggles of love and the survival mechanism may be confusing at times, but it infuses a breath of fresh air in terms of execution. Using footage of fish and water particles as a backdrop, the imaginative session delves into exploring rebirth and karma among the individuals. This reminds me of the 2023 film “Samsara,” which also deals with reincarnation but with an in-depth view of its mechanism. The issue that falls short here is that Nelson Yeo’s depiction of reincarnation seems to be on a surface level without much detail. This perspective has the potential to detach viewers from the film’s intended message.
In terms of technicality, Nelson Yeo follows the trail of director Hong Sang-Soo in his camera-focusing style. The sudden zooms and aspect ratio bring a subtle touch to the character study. There is also an influence of director Tsai Ming-Liang’s work in his screenplay, where the slow-burn focus on emotions are evident. One point to note here is that the metaphorical representations of the dreams can have multiple meanings behind them, which is left for the audience to decide.
There isn’t a definite answer to the purpose of the imagination. Nevertheless, the context of the film gives birth to numerous questions. Are the characters’ former lives reflected in the novel “A Mermaid’s Love” that the couple read in the lavatory? In order to clarify her inner turmoil, does the wife’s karmic belief reflect Buddhist religious teachings? Are those imaginations an escapism from the bitter realities of love for all individuals? Does the couple wholly imagine Heng as a way for them to cope with their own losses?
“Dreaming & Dying,” which won the Golden Leopard- Filmmaker of the Present award at the Locarno Film Festival this year, is an experimental film that everyone does not easily comprehend. Just like how Cobb and Mal kept on living and loving in their dream world via a dream machine in the 2010 film “Inception,” the husband and wife are not ready to face the realities of life. Perhaps reality in their context is unfair, and it hurts them deeply. “Let’s leave behind a good memory,” uttered by Heng, might just be a hidden answer.
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