Just out on DVD, I found this a pleasant and well done film. Sexual coming of age films have a very narrow road to success in my book. They have to be believable without being explicit. "Dreaming About You", has a great approach. Most foreign language films have a different point of view from the typical "Hollywood" film. Yet I found this film surprisingly "Hollywood" in its style. The director, Marisa Sistach, takes a good story by Jose Buil and Alfonso Reyes and keeps the pace moving, while getting solid performances out of the talented cast. Played as a comedy, the performances are never over the top. Well, Moises Ivan Mnora (Quique) pushes the envelope, but it is a good counter to Martin Altomaro's performance as Toto. Perhaps a little too low key for your typical fourteen or fifteen year boy, Altomaro's performance makes the film work. His role has to be believable or the film will fail. The sexual scene is done in the traditional compositing, long dissolves to reduce the explicitness while still retaining the intimacy. What is surprising to me is that you can do this type of scene with a male actor who is clearly under the age of eighteen. I doubt that you could have filmed this in the USA, not that it is exploitative. Leticia Perdigon and Altomare, however, are nude. Yet this scene is the key to making the film a success. In summary, a light but believable film which left me feeling good. Enjoy!
Review of Dreaming About You
