LIFE IS JUST AN "ARIZONA DREAM"

There is an inherent problem to writing reviews on such well-known films. I always somehow assume that everyone already knows they’re brilliant. I mean, granted, I personally think Emir Kusturica’s work has grown slightly “tired” with time, but this is some of his earlier and original stuff… And with Johnny Depp as the leading actor with all that charisma and talent, let’s face it how could it fail? This is a surreal, weird and wonderful film about life, growing up, and some of our greatest dilemmas…
Axel Blackwater (Johnny Depp) comes from an Arizona family of good means. The family made their money in Cadillac sales, but Axel didn’t want any of that. The Cadillacs or the money that is… He works with the Water Board in New York, and his job is keeping tabs on the fish in the area. Axel likes fish; he thinks there is great wisdom in fish. But he will be forced out of his familiar, if slightly quirky world with a summons from his Uncle Leo back home. Uncle Leo is getting married and he wants Axel to be the best man. Axel wants none of that either but after basically being kidnapped to Arizona he reckons he might as well go through with the matter. His intention is to hop onto the first available train back ASAP but his stay will be extended. Not only one but two original women enter his life. Love enters his life, big time too. Arizona holds more surprises for Axel than he could possibly have imagined… All he can do about it is kick back and let things take their course…
Arizona Dream is basically about growing up. Not the physical growing up, the mental growing up; and those of us who have been through it know the difference all too clearly, am I right? It’s about facing what is possible and what is not, it’s about choosing real life and stepping forward to accomplish your responsibilities or actively deciding not to grow up and going after your dreams… It’s all about growing up, seeing what life really is like, understanding what’s possible and what’s not and slowly, painfully “growing up”. This is the true meaning of “growing pains”… This sounds like a rather pretentious message to be putting across but Kusturica does it with beauty and class and succeeds completely in giving the sense of loss and sadness that this realization of what life “is” brings…
On a personal note though, I do not and cannot believe that everyone should “grow up” and be logical (for lack of a better word). I am at the moment at a time in my life where, after opening my eyes and seeing what “makes sense”, I decided that didn’t suit me and took a massive leap into the unknown. It seems to be working out so far… But then again, there are always a few exceptions that prove the rule…