Kusturica grafts his sometimes unwieldy Europe-inflected concerns onto brash American landscapes with mixed results. Much is made of dreams that, either spoken of at length or illustrated, are offered in lieu of character development.
Arizona Dream
A rebellious young man. With his own version of the future. And his own fantasy of love.
1993 · 2h 22m · R
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Directed by
Emir Kusturica
Overview
An Inuit hunter races his sled home with a fresh-caught halibut. This fish pervades the entire film, in real and imaginary form. Meanwhile, Axel tags fish in New York as a naturalist's gofer. He's happy there, but a messenger arrives to bring him to Arizona for his uncle's wedding. It's a ruse to get Axel into the family business. In Arizona, Axel meets two odd women: vivacious, needy, and plagued by neuroses and familial discord. He gets romantically involved with one, while the other, rich but depressed, plays accordion tunes to a gaggle of pet turtles.
Director and cast
- Emir Kusturica Director
- Johnny Depp as Axel Blackmar
- Jerry Lewis as Leo Sweetie
- Faye Dunaway as Elaine Stalker
- Lili Taylor as Grace Stalker
- Vincent Gallo as Paul Leger
- Paulina Porizkova as Millie
- Michael J. Pollard as Fabian
- Polly Noonan as Betty
- Tricia Leigh Fisher as Lindy (uncredited)
- Candyce Mason as Blanche
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
The first 'American' film by the director of Time of the Gypsies is every bit as bizarre and imaginative as his earlier work, although it's also maddeningly indulgent and erratic.
Even at its full length, showing off a more seductive rhythm and the buoyant humanism that is this director's calling card, it remains as ripe a subject for therapy as for criticism.
Depp yet again reveals his unique ability to be the seductive yet compassionate idealist, discovering strength in tenderness.
You can't stop watching because nobody in the audience, and possibly nobody on the screen, has any idea what's going to happen next.
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