Reel Critics: Blythe Danner brings charm to ‘Dreams’

“I’ll See You In My Dreams” may not have a splashy plot but little things in this movie say so much.

Featuring a luminous performance by Blythe Danner (some may know her as Gwyneth Paltrow’s mother), it’s a gentle commentary about being at a certain point in your life and finding you want more — whatever “more” is.

Carol (Danner) is retired, a widow, and lives a life of quiet routines. She plays golf and bridge with the “girls” (the hilarious Rhea Perlman, June Squibb and Mary Kay Place) but refuses to live in their senior community. She likes her independence but she does get lonely.

She strikes up a casual friendship with her pool man Lloyd (Martin Starr) who is also at an emotional crossroads. There’s some attraction there but we don’t know what’s to come of it.

Carol gets the attention of Bob (the ever sexy Sam Elliott), who knows exactly what he wants and we hope it will happen. Their scenes are utterly relaxed and charming and it looks like a perfect pairing of two attractive, classy people.

But life is always throwing us curveballs and to its credit the filmmakers don’t go for easy sentiment or melodrama.

The acting is genuinely terrific across the board, especially by Danner, who hasn’t had a lead movie role in decades. Her lovely features convey a wealth of emotions from melancholy to wicked merriment, as when she endures a hilarious round of speed dating.

“Dreams” is one of those movies where you’re so charmed by its characters that you wish it would keep going to see what happens next.

—Susanne Perez

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‘Tomorrowland’ is dazzling, but may be a bit much

Director Brad Bird earned high marks in family animation with “The Incredibles.” He also fashioned a serious action film in “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.” He now brings his expertise to Disney’s latest entry in the summer blockbuster sweepstakes.

“Tomorrowland” is a dazzling fast-paced rocket ride full of fun and mischief. Technology, physics, time travel, robots and high-energy chase scenes compete for plot space and screen time. Bird himself calls it “a science fiction action adventure road movie fable.” But that description hints that it may be too long and complex for its own good.

A great positive is the presence of two dynamic girls who are the heroes of the great adventure. Brittany Robertson and young Raffey Cassidy are both outstanding as the resourceful females who cut through the story’s mystical puzzle. George Clooney is excellent as their cantankerous pal who holds the key to another dimension where Tomorrowland exists.

There are some high-powered fight scenes where the girls show their courage and determination. They must navigate through many cinematic elements that are bewildering at times. But the story is sprinkled with enough humor and thrills to keep you smiling through most of it.

—John Depko

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JOHN DEPKO is a retired senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. He lives in Costa Mesa and works as a licensed private investigator. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a company in Irvine.