Catangro
After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Kien Navarro
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Allison Davies
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Skyler
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
KissEnglishPasto
.......................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FL One must apply powers of divination as to director Jeremy Alter's intentions. Location Manager on high-profile films, long before and since, SLEEP seems to be an obviously ill-fated foray into film direction. ("Location Managers Gone Wild"?) In its conceptualization, SLEEP was projected to become a larger-than-life, neoclassic, film noir, somnambulist visionary dreamlike masterpiece....Sorry, Jeremy, only in your "Perfect Sleep" dreams! From beginning to end, the central character delivers an incessantly droning voice-over monotone narration. Was this intended to lull the viewer to sleep? Desired or not, that's the effect it had on me.Looking at the finished product, the execution didn't achieve 10% of what was envisioned. There were a few moments when it seemed SLEEP was, at last, awakening! (Fleeting moments, indeed!) Movie locations were ONE 10* element. Mr. Alter certainly does have a good eye...All other visual aspects 7 or 8*. Just about every other aspect rates 2 or 3*! Overall: 4*....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA! (If You Can Manage) Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!
shattering_glass47
I'm not "Noir expert", just a movie-goer who watches and enjoy.The film with its dark atmosphere is heavy on narrative, I found it like-able thanks to the good voice-over and witty lines. The tone can be condescending sometimes, whether it interrupts your joy depends if you can take it.There's also plenty of stylish moments. The film isn't straightforward,scenes are cut here and there, there's flashbacks in metaphorical ways. But there's good flow, the movie doesn't change the picture every 1 seconds, no annoying constant cuts. The soundtrack is spot-on. The setting is so-so, but one of the mansion shown has a pleasant, vintage architecture.I find the narrator aka mad monk like-able, but not the female protagonist(it's her looks...). The narrator tends to be witty often. There's other interesting characters like a kung-fu captain and an eccentric killer doctor, who often quote Hamlet's words: If it be now, tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. "If it be not now, yet it will come. Good sirs, the readiness is all." The story centers around 3 orphans. The story isn't groundbreaking and there's weak plot structure (again, don't take the story seriously, enjoy the ride). While there's action involving gunfights, hand to hand combat, it's not occurring every second. It's enjoyable although it occurs quickly. The dialogs aren't dumb, for lack of better words. It's smart and witty, sometimes eccentric(see killer doctor). Although it can seem... superfluous.Overall, witty script, stylish presentation and likable characters.
clif_smith
Overall, I enjoyed the film. I think it is a fine example of modern Film-Noire. It's true, the plot is a little too vague, the lack of societal context reduces it's sense of authenticity and realism, and the voice-over narration could have been used less or perhaps eliminated completely. Overall though, it's a great mood piece and visually sumptuous and stunning. The beautiful Ms. Sanchez allowed me to feel the pain of her relationship with the hero. This film had a lot of potential to be a true masterpiece, but the flaws bring it down to the level of great genre piece. I would highly recommend it to fans of the genre, but, it's not a film I would recommend to the casual viewer.
www.ramascreen.com
THE PERFECT SLEEP takes me by surprise, just when I thought this was just going to be another noir movie that only focuses on art and nothing else, it actually delivers some of the most entertaining gunfight sequences I've seen in a long time. It's a
dark, classy thriller/drama, worthy of going up against some of the best movies this year can throw at you. The story is elegant and cunning at the same time, the kind of revenge story you'd like to wrap your head around.What really grabs me by the throat is the martial aspect of this movie. Absolutely impressive, I don't remember ever watching a noir movie in the past that has such kick-ass fight scenes. That and the doctor whose style of killing includes telling his victims what they're about to go through as they slowly fall to their excruciating death. That part isn't so original but it's played with such finesse and calmness by actor Tony Amendola, it's practically hypnotic. On top of that I really enjoy how writer/actor Anton Pardoe crafted such a simple yet intriguing story that's not too confusing to crack wide open but you don't mind because it will make you even more curious to see how the story would resolve itself. There's a little bit of everything for everyone: romance, the fascination that comes with the concept of lonesome assassin, it even has sniper shooting for those of you who are into first-person shooting video game.My only few objections probably would have to do with the acting. Roselyn Sanchez is a gorgeous woman but she's still got a ways to go before she could be deemed as a talented actress. There are times when you're looking at her face as she's saying her lines and it still feels as though she's reading the script on the reflection of the opposing actors' eyes. It's obvious that actor Anton Pardoe gives his all because this is his passion project, if you will, but he does not have the looks and charm of a lead male star. I think Patrick Bauchau was fantastic in the HBO series Carnivale but in THE PERFECT SLEEP, his performance is rather dry, half-hearted and doesn't leave a lasting impression. The cinematography is decent, the way it plays with the contrast between light and dark and the spaces in between is not too shabby. it serves some moments that would get you to submit but at times, I feel it could go the distance a bit. Show more close up shots in more creative angles instead of just depending on wide span for most parts. We could do without some of the dialogue, I don't like it much when a movie is trying too hard to be all aristotle or king Solomon and throws darts of wisdom words so obviously at the audience. Having said that, THE PERFECT SLEEP is still worth watching for those of us who long for something familiar and yet so different.--Rama's SCREEN--