Directed by: Jamil Walker Smith
Starring: Malcolm Goodwin, Jamil Walker Smith, Michael Trotter
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Running Time: 79 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
With patriotism high with fourth of July around the corner, “The American Dream” delivers…for he most part. The film is delivers the rawness and truth behind being in war and the journey of a soldier serving one’s country. Writer/director and co-star Jamil Walker Smith really aims to deliver that and more. You can tell that he is not only trying to make a movie but also deliver a message.
The film follows the last 36 hours of two best friends, Luis and Ronald before into the war in Afghanistan. We get a chance to see their countdown moments and leading up to their enlistment. Though the two have completely different personalities, they both share similar memories and both are dealing with the mixed emotions about their decision to fight in the war.
The DVD release is lacking any special features at all, so that is a bit of a disappointment. The performances are strong and yet even though the running time is only 79 minutes, the film seems to drag through its scenes. It is worth it to watch just for the performances alone but overall I think it will primarily only appeal to people interested in film’s about war, then the average film goer.