According to the definition provided within director Naoto Mitake's short feature, a “dream box” is a euphemism referring to the room where cats and dogs are being euthanized. Considering there are human characters involved, perhaps this is due to the sense of dry humour, a particular predilection of the filmmaker himself as his profile indicates. Whatever the case may be, “Dream Box” is best described as a showcase for the director, who has worked on countless commercials and other projects previously, especially with regard to its visuals and its link to the aforementioned concept.
Dream Box is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
Six people are imprisoned in a room and have been engaging in what must have been a food orgy for quite some time. As the last bowls of soup and noodles are being digested, the atmosphere shifts towards more physical encounters as the men and women become attracted to one another and start making certain advances. Tojo (Kentez Asaka) and Mika (Canon Nawata) seem particularly infatuated with each other. However, as the lights turns red in the room and guards start entering and taking them away, they decide it is best to cherish whatever time they have left.
To be honest, there is not a lot going on in “Dream Box” in terms of story. While shorts obviously do not contain a lengthy plot, Mitake's work seems to be more concerned with recording a certain condition or mood. Given the fate that awaits the characters, there is a distinct amount of desperation, but also playfulness in some of these moments, resulting in, for example, a howling competition between two of them. In the end, making sense out of all of this is the viewer's task as the director and screenwriter did not take the time to do so.
Check also this interview
When it comes to the short's aesthetics, “Dream Box” has a little more to offer. The heightened emotions, the stress, the anger and the overall desperation are emphasized by the performances on the one hand, but even more so by the use of lights, colors and Hans Babanovits' cinematography. Therefore, some scenes look very pretty and interesting, which may suggest that this short is one of the many favoring style over substance.
In the end, “Dream Box” is a visually well-made short but has not a lot to offer in terms of themes and plot.
