Two recent VOD biopics from Canadian company LevelFILM provides more proof that the Great White North excels regarding indie films. The topic du jour is the January 9, 2018 release of "Dare to Be Wild." This docudrama tells the story of determined Irish landscape designer Mary Reynolds
This beautifully-shot film that screams for a Blu-ray release begins with the magical childhood of Reynolds in the Irish countryside. Her connection to the natural world is clear from the start and will make some folks believe in fairies and similar special creatures asserted to inhabit those woods.
Wanting a chance to create gardens that reflect the natural wold prompts a 20-something Reynolds to move to Dublin. Her first adventure there involves working for a celebrity landscaper who is a "The Devil Wears Prada" style boss from Hell.
The inevitable shabby treatment from the aforementioned She-Devil prompts Mary to campaign to compete in the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. Prince Charles being an entrant provides a sense of the caliber of the event.
The desperate time crunches regarding meeting the application deadline and then creating a magical spot in the heart of London in a very short time leads to Reynolds begging dreamy Christy Collard and his fellow commune-style back to earth tree huggers to lend a hand and numerous other resources. There additionally is a strong suggestion of deflowering.
(As an aside, the Internet reports that Collard and Reynolds remain close friends and that he continues working with his family business Future Forests in Ireland.)
A highly amusing scene from the introduction of Reynolds to the highly enviro-friendly community from which she is seeking help involves a gathering at which a member requests a modern convenience. This alone provides entertainment; the manner in which the request is met is hilarious.
Proving her determination requires that Reynolds follow Collard to Ethopia where he is working on a variation of the terra forming of which many episodes in the "Star Trek" franchise are made. The amazing results show there is hope to put right what once went wrong.
Back in England, Reynolds and her motley crew get to work and overcome almost constant setbacks. Suffice it to say that anything that can go wrong does; this continues to the 11th hour during which the genuine oasis becomes an apt setting for a Lawrence Welk performance. The looming threat throughout is that the highly arrogant and fussy head of the contest will disqualify Reynolds for the slightest infraction.
Reynolds being charmingly ejected from her Garden of Eden near the end of the film and reading the "where are they now" blurbs provide good payoffs at the end of this feel-good film that has a excellent sense of its subject. It also shows that there still is a call for cute biopics in this era of superhero epics and shock value comedies.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Dare" is strongly encouraged to email me; you alternatively can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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