Dreamland on AllMovie

Dreamland is an appropriate title for a film that examines up close and personal that place where dreams are made and just as quickly broken -- the gambling world of Las Vegas. The documentary moves beyond the bright lights and neon glitz of the famous casino strip and into the dark and dingy neighborhood casinos that thrive in a city where compulsive gambling is every bit as addictive as a drug habit, and often seeks to escape the same symptoms of pain, loneliness, and unhappiness. Using interviews with patrons of these casinos and gambling halls, from middle-class retirees and blue collar workers to professional gamblers and casino dealers, director Lisanne Skyler provides a frank and honest look at the grim reality of an American pastime.