Arizona Dream (1994)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I really like the unique chaotic feel kusturica has in his films. the super inappropriately loud music that plays while people are having important conversations are hilarious. amazing acting by amazing actors. it also has that dreamy vibe to it that makes every odd thing feel normal.its about a young new yorker that moves to arizona and falls in love with an older woman.

I was Best Boy on this show. The most pleasant movie experience I've had. Gunnison, Nome (in Feb!), Douglas AZ, Nogales AZ, and a ranch near the Mexican border. I just saw the Director's Cut last night in L.A. ------ Where is the 1000' mag Steadicam shot?! We built an entire cyclorama stage in the alley behind the auto dealer, painted outerspace, rigged a Caddy on a forklift, lit it big (including the only Titan arcs that Mole Richardson had working at the time), and flew a wall up and down for various parts of the 10:00 shot. It was great. Where is it!? That scene took lots of work, time, thought, rehearsal, and we were all very proud of it. I think we did 3 takes, and at dailies (upstairs in the deserted department store next to the hotel) the whole crew was thrilled. Where is that shot?!?!?!?!!?

Watching this spectacle through tear stained eyes, wearing the melancholy foible as a shroud of deep dark sincerity, I realized I was watching magic unfold. The textured layers of raw realism, the compounded fluff of unfounded love..it truly is but a dream. Surely all who experience this film (I say experience, for one CAN NOT merely sit and let this one flow through one's head as powdery wafting nothingness!) surely all will feel the angst and tremor of love lost. And love is the golden ring we all seek... whether we admit it as our weakness or not. It is the bread of life, and life is for learning.This is why there IS cinema. Devour it.

This movie is kind of like across between watching a foreign film, one made in a culture completely alien to your own, and watching someone else's dreams.It is such an bizarre film that I doubt some people would even be able to get through it. I myself had to take it in two parts. But many parts of it are strangely beautiful, and there are a few moments in the latter half of the film of astonishing power.Further more, Kusturica's imagery is absolutely stunning. From a shot of Axel in a red rain coat looking out over the sea near the beginning to one of him lying down with a litter of abandoned puppies in a empty shop at the end, these will stay with you.And of course Kusturica couldn't have a better subject than Depp. He was going on thirty when this came out, but he's has never seemed more innocent. To be honest, its a flawless performance. I don't hand that out a lot, but, in a deeply flawed movie, he's perfect. He never once lets us out of Axel's dreamy, strange world. There's no "winking at the camera" no matter how much it may love him. He gives the movie an emotional center.Its a film that some people will hate, a few will love, and most will simply be perplexed by. Personally, I think you should watch it, not necessarily because you'll like it, but to have an opinion on it.