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The Dreamlife of Angels

Play trailer Poster for The Dreamlife of Angels R Released Aug 30, 1998 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 43 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Isa (Élodie Bouchez) and Marie (Natacha Régnier) bond while working in a French sweatshop and soon begin sharing an apartment that Marie is watching for a hospitalized mother and daughter. Marie, hoping to avoid a life of struggle and poverty, takes up with Chriss (Grégoire Colin), a nightclub owner whose most attractive asset is his money. Isa recognizes the ultimate futility of the relationship and tries to keep Marie away from him, but her interference puts their friendship at risk.
The Dreamlife of Angels

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Critics Consensus

Showcasing excellent lead performances, The Dreamlife of Angels is an intelligent, absorbing character study of two women.

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Critics Reviews

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Globe and Mail Rated: 4/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times Frank, intimate, touching, with an emotional immediacy that is killing. Feb 14, 2001 Full Review Elizabeth Weitzman Film.com [Bouchez and Regnier have] fleshed out portraits of a depth rarely seen on screen. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Jas Keimig The Stranger (Seattle, WA) Both Isa and Marie have bad haircuts, dressed in well-worn clothing that probably just barely keeps them warm. There's beauty in those touches of reality, too... Dec 9, 2021 Full Review Jim Lane Sacramento News & Review Rated: 3/5 Aug 7, 2008 Full Review Jeffrey Overstreet Looking Closer Two unforgettable characters are revealed, and the truth resonates powerfully through their stories. Rated: A Jan 15, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Johnny H Cinema simply does not get any better than this!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/09/23 Full Review Audience Member It is a beautiful film, that discovers new, not yet conquered ground of material, but puts on many depressive stories that lead to more depressive stories, what makes the movie really a downer and I dont know when I would want a movie, that makes me feel worse than before. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member annoyingly boring. Bouchez's role as an androgynous infantile vagabond is just flippant. Her whispy voice, laissez-faire comportement, and ragged costumes suggests she's actually one of the lost boys of wonderland. Nothing really happens in this lazy 2h disillusionment. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member This little indy French film is very well written, srtongly acted by two ladies who have since shown how amazing actresses they are & produced with great honesty, never trying to fool anyone or being something it isn't. This is a simple story of two struggling young ladies who survive from odd jobs to plan B, but everything changes when one of them falls in love with a manipulative young man and slowly dive into madness, reckless behavior & anger. Two angels, one choosing the light of hope the other the darkness of an impossible love. A beautiful piece of cinema like only the French know how to do! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A charming set of gals from two much different backgrounds become friends and collide their lives with a number of trying life situations. Very watchable. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the better recent French films, with a pair of knockout performances from Bouchez and Reignier. Lovely largely handheld camerawork; lovely off-the-cuff low-budget filmaking. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Dreamlife of Angels

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Isa (Élodie Bouchez) and Marie (Natacha Régnier) bond while working in a French sweatshop and soon begin sharing an apartment that Marie is watching for a hospitalized mother and daughter. Marie, hoping to avoid a life of struggle and poverty, takes up with Chriss (Grégoire Colin), a nightclub owner whose most attractive asset is his money. Isa recognizes the ultimate futility of the relationship and tries to keep Marie away from him, but her interference puts their friendship at risk.
Director
Erick Zonca
Producer
François Marquis
Screenwriter
Erick Zonca, Roger Bohbot, Virginie Wagon, Pierre Chosson
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia TriStar Home Video
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 30, 1998, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.7M
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR