Dream review: Lee Byeong-heon goes for the win with this entertaining sports comedy

4/5

Story: Hong-dae is a professional footballer who becomes the coach of South Korea's Homeless World Cup football team. Despite having everything pitted against them, will the team and their coach work together to bring home the cup?

Review: Dream is based on the real-life events of the 2010 Homeless World Cup football games that were held in Brazil, when the South Korean team finished last out of 43 competing countries. Director Lee Byeong-heon was so moved by a TV documentary that he watched on the tournament that he decided to make a film on it. And boy, are we glad he did!

Dream borrows the storytelling approach of Lee’s 2019 film, Extreme Job, which was deemed a hit. One would expect a film centred on homeless people who have to fight all odds to emerge as underdogs to be a tearjerker, for sure. But Dream masterfully and seamlessly manages to blend comedy with emotional scenes without mocking anyone or any situation. And this is where the film excels.

Leading man Park Seo-joon, of popular K-dramas like Itaewon Class and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, is a treat to watch as Hong-dae, a professional footballer whose career comes to a sudden end after he assaults a journalist. Broke and with no other career prospects, his talent agency makes him coach the Korean national homeless football team and be a part of a documentary to win back public approval.

Scenes with Seo-joon and IU (singer-actress Lee Ji-eun), who plays a filmmaker named So-min who is responsible for shooting the documentary on the homeless players, are a treat to watch. Their chemistry is palpable, and their fast-paced banter is hilarious.

The supporting cast deserves a mention as well. Baek Ji-won plays Hong-dae’s mother, a con artist on the run who will make you laugh out loud every time she’s on screen. Since Lee manages to seamlessly stitch together the subplots and stories of the supporting cast with the main plot, there are several moments that allow the other actors to shine. And they all do an overall good job.

While the first half guarantees several laughs, the film does seem to slow down a little in the second half to allow for some emotional scenes. But you are never bored.

Verdict: Under two hours, Dream is an easy watch that, despite its subject, doesn’t ever feel heavy to watch. It is a fun and breezy watch. Watch it for the top notch performances of the cast as well as the refreshing way in which Lee has handled the subject, going for the win as far as storytelling goes. He sure knows how to entertain!