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Cast: Malcolm Goodwin, Jamil Walker Smith, Michael Trotter
Armed with dreams that extend beyond their block, Luis and Ronald, two best friends from Los Angeles, videotape their last 36 hours before shipping off to Afghanistan. One hundred days before Obama's inauguration, these young men have joined the Marines together to face the obstacles and circumstances that seem to overwhelm their passage into manhood. Luis wants to be a filmmaker and Ronald wants to travel the world and raise a family. Through the lens of Luis' video camera, they capture their friends, family members and the places they call home in order to remember who they are and where they come from. In their darkest hour, they turn on the video camera for the last time and document the final moments of their journey home. They soon realize that their dreams and promises of a new life mean nothing in a place called War.
"The American Dream" aka "Make A Movie Like Spike" is a documentary style film about two friends who have enlisted in the Marine Corp and are about to ship off to Afghanistan. They decided to film their last 36 hours before departing. Luis is an aspiring film-maker and idolizes Spike Lee’s movie filming style and shoots this movie with a hand-held video camera. His plan is to take the video oversees with him to remember all the best times of his life before going to war. He captures special moments with his grandma and his vacation with his buddy Ronald in Cancun.
Some might believe this is a real documentary because it's done so well, the style really gets the audience involved in the story and in the characters. This is a story about family, friendship and dreams. Luis and Ronald are looking for something important in their lives so together they join the marines where they will have more opportunities, everyone has dreams which is why this film is so easy to relate to.
There has been many films shoot like this before but this one really uses it to full effect. There's so much to like about the film, it has a great mix of drama and comedy and the messages of family and friendship are loud and clear. Shot on a micro-budget "The American Dream" is a gem of a film that should not be missed.
Available now on DVD, The American Dream was a multi-award winner in the 2011 Film Festival circuit—creating huge buzz at screenings across the United States. You can order the DVD HERE.
The film grabs your attention from it's open frames and it places you right there in Luis and Ronald's world and it doesn't let you go till the credits begin to roll. A film with great acting and amazing direction.
Released by Image Entertainment
**** Out Of *****