90
Variety
A riveting tale of a onetime vivacious personality, described by those who knew her as "stunning," "lovely," and "very well liked," but who nevertheless died alone, friendless and seemingly missed by nobody.
Dreams of a Life
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- United Kingdom,
- Ireland
- 2011
- · 95m
Director
Carol Morley
Cast
Zawe Ashton,
Alix Luka-Cain,
Cornell John,
Neelam Bakshi,
Frances Cooper,
Kelly Agbowu
Genre
Documentary,
Drama
Joyce Carol Vincent's remains were discovered in her North London apartment in 2006 -- nearly three years after her death, the circumstances of which are unknown. Who was Joyce? How did her death go undiscovered for so long? This drama-documentary hybrid follows one filmmaker's quest to answer those long-unanswered questions.
Stream Dreams of a Life
What are critics saying?
90
Variety by Charles Gant
A riveting tale of a onetime vivacious personality, described by those who knew her as "stunning," "lovely," and "very well liked," but who nevertheless died alone, friendless and seemingly missed by nobody.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by John DeFore
Carol Morley's sadly fascinating Dreams of a Life, which plays like a more artful cousin to TV's true-crime documentaries, slowly assembles a portrait of Vincent, unfolding in a way that should earn fans in its niche theatrical run.
80
Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf
Director Morley has at least restored something of a soul to her subject.
80
Total Film by Neil Smith
A bleak yet strangely heartening film.
80
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
Dreams of a Life is a painful film, a Christmas film with no feelgood message, but one which I think would in fact have interested Charles Dickens. Watching it is an almost claustrophobic experience, but a very powerful and moving one.
80
Empire by Patrick Peters
This barely conceivable story of neglect and loneliness is given heartbreaking new life by Morley, with Zawe Ashton standing in effectively for the tragic young singer.
63
Slant Magazine by Andrew Schenker
Dreams of a Life succeeds in making its point about the unkowability of the people in our lives, but there isn't quite enough substance here to fully sustain the film.
50
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
For all its subtext about identity and London's social fabric, Dreams of a Life leaves too many blanks and is ultimately more frustrating than rewarding.
50
Village Voice by Michael Atkinson
Left with barely any there there, Morley compensates with long reenactments starring look-alike Zawe Ashton that are never quite convincing but instead suck more air out of the haunting vacuum left behind in Vincent's wake.
42
IndieWire by Eric Kohn
Dreams of a Life unintentionally amounts to a mean-spirited snooze.
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