Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley bring us a film that I can only think of one word to describe. Strawberry Mansion is quirky. Sometimes, as a descriptor, that has negative connotations but not this time. Because it is such an odd thing it is a film that is almost impossible to describe in detail because I don’t honestly think you’d believe half of what I said.
“In a future where the government records dreams and taxes them, a dream auditor gets caught up in the dreams of an ageing eccentric.”
To highlight the strangeness, and without giving away any plot points, in one scene there is a frog-headed waiter playing the saxophone and this is one of the least strange of the unusual scenes. I absolutely love the weirdness portrayed on screen.
Audley plays the main character, James Preble, who is a dream auditor in a world where dreams are recorded and taxed. The issues that bring up about the real world are quite intriguing. I think most of us feel as though the government would tax our dreams if they could figure out how. He plays Preble as a world-weary agent of the government, a man who seems to have given up on living a life of excitement. His performance, for the “real world” parts, is on point and strikes home about the futility of having to work in a job that you’ve almost given up on. His journey through the medium of the dreams he’s auditing is definitely one of intense ups and downs.
The rest of the cast has to deal with some truly bizarre character moments, and they do for the most part pull it off really well. Oft times a series of truly strange moments, like the ones in this, can derail a movie but when laced together the way these were it works surprisingly well.
With a budget of only $200,000, this is a film that has dreams of being a multi-million-dollar movie and, while it doesn’t quite reach the lofty goals of a Hollywood blockbuster, it is an intriguing premise. The metaphors and ideas shown as part of the overall presentation are not particularly confusing, despite the concept of the movie, but you do need to watch carefully to ensure you don’t miss anything important.
Overall it’s a decent, intriguing, charming at times, low-budget independent film. I would be interested to see the premise explored as a series or a bigger budget movie, but it’s a fun watch and I’m glad I got the opportunity to see it. It’s getting a hearty 3.5/5 from me. If you do get the chance to see Strawberry Mansion I hope you enjoy it. Just be prepared for some very, very, weird stuff.
Surreal fantasy adventure Strawberry Mansion is in select cinemas and on-demand on 16 September from Bulldog Film Distribution.
Very, Very, Weird!
Movie title: Strawberry Mansion (2021)
Movie description: In a future where the government records dreams and taxes them, a dream auditor gets caught up in the dreams of an ageing eccentric.
Date published: September 14, 2022
Country: UK
Director(s): Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney
Actor(s): Penny Fuller, Kentucker Audley, Grace Glowicki
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
