 'Hollywood Dreams'
(Tanna Frederick, Justin Kirk, Zack Norman, David Proval, Karen Black, et al / R / 100 mins / Rainbow Releasing)
Overview: 'Hollywood Dreams' follows the journey of a young woman from a small town in Iowa, Margie Chizek, who arrives in Los Angeles deeply scarred by certain events in her childhood and profoundly obsessed with a life-long dream of achieving fame and stardom. After a series of difficult and sometimes comic struggles - including a failed audition for the "part of a lifetime" in a local play - she literally bumps into a self-styled "major producer / manager" who, together with his personal and professional partner, takes her under his wing.
Verdict: Amazingly, this is the 15th film in 35 years written and directed by Henry Jaglom! The movie fairly buzzes with the quirky rhythms of Jaglom's patented improvisational shooting style. Indeed, whether you love-him-or-hate-him for this iconoclast view of American independent filmmaking, the man sure knows how to bring a touching, and yet also surprisingly optimistic movie into our hearts. That said, it's very clear that 'Hollywood Dreams' is a walk down memory lane for its own maker, stuffed with references to earlier Jaglom films and appearances by many members of his longtime stock company - including Melissa Leo, Zack Norman and David Proval, all of whom shine.
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