Rating: 
Summary: We Can Dream, Can't We?
Review: Erick Zonca's "The Dreamlife of Angels" is a demanding, uncompromising work of art. Isa (Elodie Bouchez) and Marie (Natacha Regnier) meet at work and quickly become soul mates. They are both basically street people living meager existencies but not on the street per se because Marie has lucked into a house sitting situation in a nicer section of Lille, France. Isa and Marie share a devil-may-care attitude but what slowly becomes apparent is that Isa and Marie are actually opposites: one a feisty survivor, the other a misanthropic loser. Like with all great films it is in the telling, the laying out of the story ,the details and the pacing that differentiate it from merely a good film. A great director also makes the right choices more often than he doesn't: actors, setting, clothing,props, etc. Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier are masterful in their roles and Erick Zonka's script and direction are first rate.
Rating: 
Summary: Pick this over Romance.
Review: For those looking for a sexy French movie I recommend this oneinstead. It is also graphic (altough Romance does have a slight edgethere), but it is also a lot more. The emotional level of this movie and of the actresses will immediantly involve you. These two women are some of the most realistic characters ever brought to film. This is in direct contrast to the sterile quality of Romance. This film explores the mystery of women's desires. Mainly the view that women often tend to pursue relationships that are obviously destructive. You will feel for these characters because they are real, and most likely you will recognize them as people you have known. END
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully Acted
Review: Great Acting. The girls are deserving of their awards. The camera angles are great. It feels as though you are the "other" person in their group. But the story just goes nowhere. Just when you think it will, it dies. The movie just has no plot. I gave it 3 stars because the acting was amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Poor DVD Picture Quality
Review: Hello Sony classic / Columbia Tristar: The picture quality of this DVD is (partially) the worst I have ever seen on any DVD. And I do 17 DVDs until now.
Rating:
Summary: a triumph!
Review: How is it possible that this masterpiece is the director's debut feature? This is one of those films where everything works: the writing, direction, acting, filming, editing. A true work of art. And how many times can one say that about a film in the last five years or so? I have watched a number of French films lately and have been struck by how the French seem to be trained to act with their eyes. Both of the two stars of this film do this strongly but it is Elodie Bouchez whose eyes [and total performance] will always be remembered.
Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: I am a huge fan of film. Especially french films. And I bought this dvd on a whim, the story sounded so appealing, but in the end, I was let down. I, for one, didn't see all the great acting that everyone else did. I sat there just thinking to myself, 'when will this be over?' after the first 45 minutes. And it dragged on and on til what seemed like forever. At the beginning, I really wanted to love this film. I wanted to love how 'real' it was, but nearing the end, I wanted to turn it off. The reason I wanted to love it, was what made me hate it. It made me think how greatful I am that I don't have people like these two in my life. They both seemed so shallow, even when Élodie Bouchez's character was supposed to be the exact opposite. I thought that if I watched it again, my opinions would change, because maybe when I watched it the first time I didn't notice the things that everyone else did. But even the second time, I turned it off. I just guess this film wasn't 'my cup of tea', even when I thought that it would be.
Rating:
Summary: A flower blossoms in the ghetto
Review: I began watching this movie and remember thinking "OH, I know where this is going: It's going to be a movie about the pathetic lives of street people and they're going to end up dead. This will be a message-movie, about how cruel life can be." I was only half-right. What I saw unfold in front of me, was the Isa character transform from someone completely alone and having-every-reason-in-the-world-to-just-give-up-or-destroy-everyone-around-her, to a person that really cares and just wants to love and be loved. This movie really touched me. The filming was great, a lot of close-ups. Both characters communicated as much with their facial expressions as they did in their native tongue. This movie is a diamond in the rough, I loved it. It made me laugh and cry. The ending was three-fold heartbreaking, but the journey to get there and transformation of the characters was to realistic. One of the most touching parts to me was when she couldn't open the door to see the recovered girl in the hospital, it broke my heart.
Rating:
Summary: a real life drama
Review: I like French movies more because they are closer to real life, with no dramatic explosions, no car chasings, no fierce gunfires, etc. This movie shows us the life of two 20-years-old girls living in a small French city. Life is tough and they need to work very hard. They have all kinds of jobs. Despite the hardship, they long for real love and meaning of their lives. They are very different, Marie (Natacha Regnier) is the kind of girl who wants to find real love in rich people, while Isa (Elodie Bouchez) is more rational and gracious to what she has. The real burden of life is beautifully shown in this movie. The ending is almost heart-broken. Both Elodie and Natacha are great in this movie. (They won best actresses in 1998 Cannes Film Festivals for the performance in this movie) You feel that you really see them in the bar, the factory and the streets. This is the movie that makes you think about real meanings of love, friendship and life.
Rating:
Summary: A Sulblime Heartbreaker
Review: I loved this movie. Every aspect of it (acting,photography,story,the strange moving relationship of its sad odd couple) is so beautifully conceived and lovingly presented that your heart just aches watching it.
Rating:
Summary: French naturalism at its finest
Review: I was utterly moved by the raw, unflinching portrayal of directionless youth that writer/director Zonca was able to capture in "The Dreamlife of Angels." Bouchez and Regnier both deliver subtle, emotionally shattering performances, and the accolades they have received for this film are without a doubt well deserved. This is truly a heartbreaking slice of life with none of the false flourishes of a Hollywood production. Watch it if you dare.
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