On The Movie "American Dreams Redux"

Having to move back to your hometown after a failed relationship of four years is no easy feat, and I could easily get into James’s headspace while he was in Arizona, meeting with family who have their ways set. Well, no, James finds that it wasn’t quite set after all - there’s a lot of uncertainty in its deserts. The movie was making fun out of that, from the coyote hunting wiles of James’s uncle, and his brother Joseph’s efforts to uphold his state of mental health through competitive bowling. His uneasiness was easy to dig into, but it’s a little sad that it doesn’t quite lead anywhere other than build the film’s truths into something tangible. So, yeah, there was something off tying it down with James’s life in LA as an aspiring filmmaker, with ideas seemingly not getting through from his friend David about a public domain movie, and the ending scene being a huge question mark that one can feel and absorb, as a creative. The movie was in truth, trying to be a cane for someone who might similarly be lost, dusting off the unnecessary trash, making paths straight from here. Cinema has been this driver for decades, but there’s also a trend where it’s absorbed without being recycled back into discussion, and its social aspects, how it moves you, what you do with the media you’ve seen. And like James, it makes you ruminate over what kind of story you want to tell, not just through writing, but also your life outside that profession. And there are these walls being put up to fend for the creatives, but the passage of time makes those walls crumble anyway so, it feels dreary. Still, it’s clear visually, with that fun element, and also seeing through James’s life like that - that intention echoes from this films producers, and it’s good and kind in that regard.