Sweet Dreams (2006)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Eric Scott Latek

Genre:

Documentary | Drama | Sport

Plot:

Over three years, Sweet Dreams tells the story of two Italian-American men. One of them, Gary "Tiger" Balletto is a 27-year-old boxer...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Bookie | Tiger | Boxing | Italian American

Cast

Gary Balletto	...	Himself
Derek Fleming	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dino Autiello	...	Himself
Christina Balletto	...	Herself
Hailey Balletto	...	Herself
Jimmy Burchfield	...	Himself
Lino Cambio	...	Himself
Jimmy Hoffa Jr.	...	Teamster President
Peter Manfredo Jr.	...	Union Meeting Attendee
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad	...	Himself
Kurt Reader	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Phantazma Pictures

Movie Connections:

References The Godfather (1972)

First there was HOOP DREAMS, now there is SWEET DREAMS!

I saw this film about two months ago and tried to post a comment right afterwards, but the movie was not on IMDb, so I was glad to check later on and see that it is now available. My wife and I try and hit the Cinema Paradiso a couple times a month. They play a variety of underground films as well as classic films. There was a group of festival films playing one weekend so we decided to try and catch a few. We left the theater amazed by it's brilliance. I never had watched a documentary like this. Not only taken by it's sheer power, but also by it's warmth and love for the people it documented. I laughed, I cried, and I times I felt pain (although I will not say why).

I love boxing films, (ala Rocky, Raging Bull, Cinderella Man) and I will not dare say that this is a boxing film due to the fact that there is so much more beyond boxing in the world of the characters. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. However, I will say, when it is a boxing film, it is the best I have seen. The fight scenes are strung together in such a brilliant, powerful and poetic way, that each fight feels unique in it's style and approach. And of course, it's real. I may not be a filmmaker, but this movie is fantastic in it's art-form, unlike any documentary I have seen. I was hoping after the movie that the filmmaker was present so I could shake his hand.

This film is a little bit of Hoop Dreams, a little bit of On The Ropes and some Harlem County USA meshed in one beautiful movie. After the movie was over there was a heavy round of applause and much talk of it outside the theater. I will say this, this movie deserve to be played at a cineplex, and I hope it does. I can't wait to see the film again, and look forward to owning it on DVD someday. And if by any chance the filmmaker reads this, I want to say thank you for Sweet Dreams.