An incredibly poignant film that studies the impacts of coercive control in relationships, Life Could be a Dream is sure to be remembered as a classic of Australian cinema for years to come.
Directed by newcomer Jasmin Tarasin, the film follows Sarah, a 40-year-old married woman who, while her coercive and abusive husband is away on a business trip, flees her husband with her teenage son Otis and tries to start a new life. Maeve Dermody stars as Sarah, and her performance is truly something to behold. She is truly heartbreaking, and carries the emotional weight of the film on her shoulders with ease.
Sonny McGee, in his film debut, portrays Otis, and shows a remarkable amount of promise in the role. Despite his age and inexperience, he manages to bring a lot of nuance to his character, communicating both his love for his mother and his fear and love for his controlling father in a way that makes the paradox of his existence incredibly clear.
Alexander England rounds out the cast as Sarah’s husband, Jake, and he is absolutely detestable in the role, a testament to his capability as a performer. He is perfectly repulsive in his more manipulative moments, yet can come across as almost charming in others, a duality that helps the audience understand the essence of coercive and manipulative relationships and what makes them so difficult to escape.
For a low-budget film, Tarasin’s movie is surprisingly formally proficient. The film’s cinematography is quite affecting, with thematically relevant visual motifs of drowning and suffocation. The film’s score is also excellently utilised, sliding between calm piano melodies and more frantic and discordant orchestral sequences, reflecting the tumultuous nature of Sarah’s life and relationships.
Ultimately, Life Could be a Dream is both an incredibly important exploration of coercive control and an impressive indie filmmaking debut, and you would be sore to miss it.
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