There’s something distinctly American about the road movie. Whether that stems from the likes of Jack Kerouac heading out On the Road or the tradition of freighthopping which has taken generations of Americans far and wide across the country; in search of jobs, a new home or simply temporary shelter. More than just a means to an end, for many it becomes a way of life. Fugitive Dreams takes this trip.
Consumed by anger and spiralling into a deep depression, Mary (April Matthis), a homeless drifter, decides to end it all. Her attempt is inadvertently thwarted by John (Robbie Tann), a troubled soul who lives much of his life in dreams. As the unlikely duo travel to an unspecified destination, a tentative bond and watchful camaraderie builds up between them. They meet lost travellers, both real and imaginary, along the way.
Fugitive Dreams is a tale of the dispossessed. A ghost story where the spectres are real. Jason Neulander’s film plays out somewhere between a hallucinogenic odyssey and paranoid fever dream. As they journey into the dark heart of America, Mary and John are assailed by the harsh realities of life. Of the situations they find themselves in. Whilst Fugitive Dreams isn’t always successful, it’s an enthralling exploration of two complex characters.
Fugitive Dreams screened at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
