Alice (1990)

That was an excellent one.

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Alice doesn't so much go through the looking glass or down a rabbit-hole as get strung out on Dr. Yang's herbs. She also has more money than she knows what to do with and Dr Yang's herbs are the conduit into a whole new world of impulsive and uncharacteristic behavior not to mention invisibility and the ability to fly like Supergirl. Despite its sterling cast this is minor, low-key Allen, designed as a vehicle for Farrow and she's excellent. The movie itself falls between 'the early funny ones' and the somewhat more serious later films. It's a doodle at best but even a doodle from Mr Allen isn't to be sniffed at.

Upperclass NYC housewife Alice Tate (Mia Farrow) is married to Doug (William Hurt) with kids. She's concerned that she's falling for another parent Joe Ruffalo (Joe Mantegna) at her kid's school. She's referred to herbalist Dr. Yang who brings her out of her rut. When the herbs wear off, she returns to her old conflicted self. Then Mr. Yang gives her invisibility powder.Mia Farrow plays a neurotic romantic which is often Woody Allen's role. She's enjoyable in this light magic-adjacent romp. It has some fun moments. The floating payphone is funny. The movie needs more of those sight gags. The drift into a ghost of Christmas past doesn't pay off as well as I hope. The romance doesn't wow me. If he plays a bit more of a bad boy, I think his character could be quite appealing. It would heat up the relationship a bit more which would help the movie. It would also differentiate him from William Hurt.

Review: This is another movie from the Woody Allen camp, about a woman whose in a troubled relationship and looks for comfort from another man. The only difference in this movie is that Mia Farrow seeks help from a Chinese healer who gives her different powers which sends her into a fantasy world. One of her powers is to disappear, which is when she catches her husband doing the dirty on her, so she decides to leave her wealthy husband for a man who she meets whilst picking up her kids from school. Some of the fantasy scenes go a bit too far, like when she's flying with Alec Baldwin in the sky, but the storyline isn't as bad as some of the movies that I have seen from Woody Allen lately. The main problem that I found with the film was Mia Farrow, who I find emotionless and quite dry. She really can't deliver wit or warmth to her roles and her constant whining spoilt the movie for me. Apart from that, the movie is watchable, with many twists and turns throughout. Watchable!Round-Up: I wonder if Woody Allen would have used Mia Farrow so much if he wasn't with her? For a writer and director who mostly makes comedies, she really would be the last actress who I would star in my movies. There are some good actors in this film, like William Hurt and Joe Mantegna, but it's mostly based around Farrow who was quite dull. I liked the moral of the story at the end, which was quite sweet, but the main character had to go through a hell of a journey to get there. Basically I have come to terms with the fact that a lot of Woody Allen movies would have been much better if he didn't cast Mia Farrow in the lead, but that's just my personal opinion.Budget: $12million Worldwide Gross: $7.3millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there Woody Allen movies about a woman in a troubled relationship and seeks help from a Chinese healer. 4/10

With a poll being held on IMDb's Classic Film board for the best titles of 1990,I decided to take a look at Woody Allen's IMDb page.Discovering that Allen had made a film which appears to have become almost forgotten about,I decided that it would be a good time to find out if Alice did live here anymore.The plot:Taking her kids to school, socialite Alice Tate runs into a handsome man dropping his kid off at the school.With having been married to Doug for 16 years,Alice's life has become one that is focused on material possessions,partly related to the spark in her marriage having burnt out long ago.Talking to her friends about feeling attracted to someone other than Doug,Alice's friends advise her to a herbalist doctor called Yang.Meeting Yang,Alice starts to tell Yang about the sudden feeling that are developing.After getting Alice to reveal her inner feeling via hypnosis,Yang gives Alice a packet of herbs,which he claims will make her act on her impulsive feelings.Taking all the herbs,Alice soon enters a new & exciting wonderland.View on the film:Staying behind the camera,writer/director Woody Allen and cinematographer Carlo Di Palma use superbly-handled tracking shots to show all of the material possessions being at a distance from the "real" Alice.Sliding the movie into wonderful flights of fantasy,Allen dips into Alice's mind by startling infer red flashbacks,and a visit from a Ghost of Christmas Past-style character.Despite filming not being the easiest experience, (with Allen checking himself into hospital,shortly after finishing the films multiple re-shoots) the screenplay by Allen expertly cracks the shell of Alice's high-end,shallow life,thanks to Allen showing the riches to have drained any excitement from Alice's life.Enchanting Alice (and the audience) with the appearance of Dr.Yang,Allen reveals a real joy in taking advantage of the fantasy opportunity,as Allen uses Yang's herbs to take Alice from being invisible,to flying across a vast city.Made just before he passed away, Keye Luke gives a splendid performance as Yang,with Luke giving Yang a real sense of excitement,over helping Alice to peel away to her true self.Whilst her performance does contain some hints of being twee,Mia Farrow does very well at keeping Alice largely on the charming side,with Farrow giving Alice an excellent nervous energy,as Alice starts to turn away from her closed-in life,and begins to look into the looking glass.