SummaryNobody noticed when thirty-eight year old Joyce Vincent died in her apartment in North London in 2003. Three years later when her skeleton was discovered, her heating and television were still on. Who was Joyce Vincent and how could her death have gone unnoticed for so long? Dreams of a Life attempts to answer this question through testimonies fr... Read More
Directed By:Carol Morley
Written By:Carol Morley
Dreams of a Life
Metascore
Generally Favorable
62
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
70% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Aug 2, 2012
90
A riveting tale of a onetime vivacious personality, described by those who knew her as "stunning," "lovely," and "very well liked," but who nevertheless died alone, friendless and seemingly missed by nobody.
Jul 30, 2012
80
This barely conceivable story of neglect and loneliness is given heartbreaking new life by Morley, with Zawe Ashton standing in effectively for the tragic young singer.
Jul 30, 2012
63
Dreams of a Life succeeds in making its point about the unkowability of the people in our lives, but there isn't quite enough substance here to fully sustain the film.
Jul 31, 2012
50
Left with barely any there there, Morley compensates with long reenactments starring look-alike Zawe Ashton that are never quite convincing but instead suck more air out of the haunting vacuum left behind in Vincent's wake.
User score
Generally Favorable
75% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
25% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Jul 31, 2013
8
Ethically, it's a good movie because it shows us the humanity of those forgotten/isolated by society. It's a humane mission to try and examine what can make a person's life so empty they end up dying young and alone. One of the central elements is dreams of pop ****. Dreams that have no real connection to what society can 'do for us'. In that way the life dreamed for was not achievable and the result was a collapsed void of a sleep. Maybe someone could have 'woken her up' by instilling truly a more natural and fulfilling dream. Aesthetically, it's a good movie because the images are well shot and the soundtrack is memorable. For anyone interested in how isolation happens, it's good. It doesn't provide an answer, so you may find yourself wasting your time. I guess the (positive) message is that there are not necessarily any reason or any monsters. It 'just happened'. But knowing it can go this way by nature, we should engage in our neighbours' lives and keep things on track for the better.
Production Company:
- Bord Scannán na hÉireann / The Irish Film Board
- Cannon and Morley Productions
- Film4
- Soho Moon Pictures
- UK Film Council
Release Date:Aug 3, 2012
Duration:1 h 35 m
Website:
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 2 Nominations
London Critics Circle Film Awards
• 1 Nomination
Evening Standard British Film Awards
• 1 Nomination
