Displaying items by tag: Kristoffer Borgli

THE DRAMA

US, 2026, 105 minutes, Colour.

Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, Hayley Gates, Jordyn Curet.

Directed by Kristoffer Borgli.

Sometimes people play, especially younger people, possibly after a couple of drinks, “what is the worst thing you have ever done?”. And that is the key to the drama in The Drama.

Charlie, Robert Pattinson, sees an attractive young woman reading a book in a cafe. She is Emma, Zendaya, and when he makes his approach, pretending to know the book, she does not respond – he is speaking into her deaf ear. Not the most propitious introduction. (Actually, there will be some very unpropitious developments as the film proceeds.) Nevertheless, they fall in love and are planning the wedding.

Charlie and Emma have friends, a married couple, Mike and Rachel (Mamadou Athie and Alana Haim). He is to be best man. She is to be the maid of honour. One night, drinking, good friends, the ‘worst thing’ game is proposed. They lovingly tell a story, with some reluctance. Emma, unwillingly first, tells the story of school bullying and the other three are aghast.

What follows, suspicions, puzzles, questioning, have some comic elements but, of course, deadly serious consequences. Rachel is vehemently condemned naturally. Mike tries to be supportive. But, it is Charlie who experiences the worst, suspicions, allaying suspicions, trying to communicate, going to his work and an extreme faux pas which has dire consequences during the wedding.

There is a strange and confusing flashbacks to members school days and her relationship with her parents. Violence, gun culture…

The wedding seems to be going well, but one of the most disastrous celebrations of marriage on screen.

Can anything be salvaged in the relationship? Charlie is shamed. Emma is confused, let down and embarrassed.

There is an ending which rather stretches credibility – leaving the audience wondering what will happen next? And, emotionally, wondering whether they have taken sides either with Emma or with Charlie.

1. The title? The story as a drama, a touch of the tragic, the touch of the comic, satiric?
2. The American setting, Americans in their 30s and 40s? Lifestyle, relationships, friends, marriage and weddings, taken for granted ordinariness?
3. The twist in the plot, the two couples, their friendships, casual telling stories, the game of the worst thing ever done, revelations, consequences, suspicions, damage?
4. The framework of the story, Charlie, British and American, seeing Emma, attracted, her reading, the music, discovering that she has i hearing in only one ear? Photographing the couple, returning, the discussion about the book, his inadequate answers? Together, the later meetings, the effect of the initial encounter on each of them?
5. Charlie, with Mike, writing his wedding speech, the flashbacks, filling the details of the relationship, its development?
6. Emma, 30s, her life so far, reading, friends, Rachel, Mike? The developing relationship with Charlie? Audiences liking her, liking Charlie?
7. The meal, drinking, talking, the preparations for the wedding, the detail, Rachel as made of honour, Mike as best man, the discussion about the venue, the catering, clothes…?
8. The telling of the worst stories, Charlie awkward, Rachel and locking the boy overnight, and her telling her story, gun culture, the flashbacks to her treatment at school, into the water, abused? Imagining the school massacre?
9. The reaction of everyone? The audience reaction? Believing her not? Rachel, the indignant response, suspicions, denunciation, breaking contact? Mike, shocked, lower key, supportive of Charlie?
10. Charlie, his response to the story, upset, suspicious, believing or not, communicating with Emma? Her attitude, telling the story, drinking, the aftermath?
11. The consequences for Charlie and Emma, her story, trying to explain, memories of school, the rival, shooting practice, the group, gun control, her leadership and collection group?
12. Charlie, imaginings, dreams, suspicions, that there was worse? Discussions with Mike? And to the office, the secretary, asking her about her relationship, if her boyfriend could commit a gun massacre, his weeping, making a sexual advance, her response, his change? And the later consequences of this episode?
13. The preparations for the wedding, going to the venue, Emma’s and her behaviour, the dance practice the wedding, difficult, seeing the DJ allegedly taking drugs, building up to the confrontation, and estates? The food the decisions?
14. Charlie and his love for Emma, suspicions, the damage to his psyche, the consequences of the episode in the office?
15. The wedding, Emma’s parents coming, Charlie’s, awkwardness? The ceremony?
16. The aftermath, the drama, Emma and her parents military background guns? Rachel, her presence, drunk, the violent speech? Emma’s father and his speech, the interruption? The growing awkwardness? Charlie going out, Emma going out, overhearing the secretary, the speech and everything coming out, the secretary boyfriend and punching Charlie? Confusion, and walking out, the kiss and bewilderment?
17. The aftermath, Charlie beaten up, at home, going out to the diner, the hamburger, and arriving, going through the ritual as if they were meeting the first time?
18. The issues of knowing one’s partner before marriage, secrets, revelations, understanding, forgiveness? Or revelations, too late, destructive for the marriage? And the future for Charlie and Emma?

DREAM SCENARIO

US, 2023, 102 minutes, Colour.

Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, all The Lily Bird, Jessica Clement, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Baker.

Directed by Kristoffer Borgli.

Dream scenario

Social Media scenario

Celebrity scenario

Fame never asked for scenario

Trauma scenario

Paranoia conspiracy

Conspiracy Theory scenario

Reputation scenario

Persecution scenario

Lynching scenario

Faustian pact scenario

Collective Unconscious scenario

Mediocrity scenario

Inceptionistic scenario

Capitalistic exploitation scenario

Notoriety scenario

All of the above, dramatised quite strikingly by Swedish writer-director, Kristoffer Borgli (Worst Person in the World, Skin I’m In). This film is clever, initially humorous, deadly serious (often literally), satirical, moralising, and allegory of how we live in the social media age of the 21^st-century and where it might lead us.

Praise to Nicholas Cage for his different performance, although for 40 years he has shown a great variety of talent, even if in more recent times he has opted for slam bang action shows. Here he is a quiet Prof at a small university, teaching evolutionary biology, two teenage daughters, with their problems, and are taken for granted wife, Julianne Nicholson.

Promotion of the film means that most of us know that he starts appearing in other people’s dreams, much to his surprise, feeling very uncomfortable, then discovering comfort in being something of a celebrity. But, this is the social media age, this is a paranoia here are, we live in a world of conspiracy theories – and the quiet Professor becomes a nightmare aggressor, real-life target and victim.

The narrative doesn’t go entirely in the way that is predictable. Rather, it dramatises all the scenarios mentioned above, the Prof’s life changed, his dream of a book on biology transformed into a sensationalised pop-seller on the celebrity of notoriety.

Dreams have always been popular staple of cinema. Nightmares is well – and the Prof is likened to Freddy Krueger, slasher she is attached for a photo shoot. And, just as we might have been distracting ourselves from the paranoid shenanigans, wondering about the Collective Unconscious and what card you might have made of Dream Scenario, he does get a mention. Which means that the drama is a clever play on the Collective Unconscious, at its worst.

And, Inception? Layers of dreams, people entering the different layers, dream shaping the characters – and, while it is treated as something of a hoot, part of the climax of capturing Scenario is an enterprising youngster creating a means for anyone to attach a product to their wrists and wish themselves into other people’s dreams.

A lot to interest, a lot to entertain, a lot to question – in the hope that the film has a dream run!

1. The title? Dreams? Tradition of dreams in films? Reality? Fantasy? Happy dreams? Not nightmares? Real characters in dreams?
2. References to the Collective Unconscious, Carl Jung? A sinister interpretation of the Collective Unconscious?
3. The use of the word scenario? The range of scenarios throughout the film, dreams, celebrity, nightmares, persecution, a Faustian pact with commercialism, fame and failure?
4. The Swedish director, perspective, right, humour?
5. Nicolas Cage, a different performance, more restrained? His appearance, bald, the beard? Quietly spoken, academic? Problems with the two daughters? Taken for granted support of his wife? The lectures, evolutionary biology, the students talking, is using the metaphor? His friendship with the Dean? An ordinary life?
6. The initial dreams, his daughters, friends, his presence, passing by, situations, not intervening?
7. The various encounters, people recognising him at restaurants, in the street? The huge number of people dreaming? The lecture, the crowds, the various stories? His becoming famous, throughout the world, social media, celebrity, the interviews, his wanting to write his biology book? The company, “Thoughts Thoughts”, the young Chairman, the talent scouts, the meeting, the commercial talk and jargon, Paul misunderstanding?
8. The change in tone, his aggression in dreams, fears, students not coming, frightened? The Freddy Krueger references? His becoming a hate figure?
9. The consequences at home, his wife and the celebrity, initial wariness, support, the daughters and their reactions?
10. Conspiracy theories, messages online, his becoming a hate-figure? The incident in the diner, hostile response, spitting in his meal? People in the street? His daughters and school, the authorities and not wanting him present, at the performance, his going, wanting to get in, the struggle with the teacher, the violence, the accident, everybody turning on him?
11. Separation from his wife, going to Paris, the Thoughts Thoughts Chairman, the book launch, in the basement, the pop book on his being a nightmare?
12. The young inventor, the brace on the arm, being able to enter other people’s dreams? A variation on Inception?
13. A variation on: What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose one’s soul?