Sweet Dreams(EUFF 2017)

Memories are a key part of Sweet Dreams, and Bellocchio effortlessly brings to life those moments that are etched in the mind of Massimo: memories of a mother who is suddenly and cruelly taken from him. This loss will come to define Massimo as he continues to wrestle with it as he enters his forties. Starting a career as a reporter, he goes from one assignment to another before writing an advice column. Relationships come and go, until, Massimo seems at his wits’ end, and then along comes a woman who could be a replacement for his mother. Sweet Dreams is a deep work that will resonate with anyone who has dealt with loss. Working with cinematographer Daniele Ciprì for the fourth time, Bellocchio wraps his film in a delicate fabric of memory while remaining sensitive to the present-day struggles of his protagonist. This is perhaps the most emotional film we have seen from Bellocchio, but it avoids cheap melodrama.