Alice

This movie is Mia Farrow's most magical moment. She glows in this film and as Woody Allen doesn't appear in it, and the film is not a heavy drama like Interiors or Another Woman, it will appeal to most audiences. The plot dabbles in mysticism and magic, similar to A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy and his segment in New York Stories, and is basically the story of a pampered woman in search of her identity. As Farrow's Alice is onscreen nearly every moment, the film couldn't have a better title. Alice begins to question her religious faith amidst an upper-class Manhattan setting and intellectual friends--in other words, she plays a female, Catholic version of the character Woody Allen has played in many other movies. There are not a lot of laughs in the movie but it still remains a classy winner, and a good start to Allen's '90s career. The big name cast (with the exception of William Hurt and Joe Mantegna) contribute cameo appearances, more or less; a casting move he would continue later in the decade. Not a movie that lends itself to countless viewings, like Manhattan or The Purple Rose of Cairo, but a definite charmer.

Alice is a happily married, upper-east side NY mother who has children, a maid, a babysitter and so on. She never thought she was unhappy until she meets a man at her children's school and begins thinking about having an affair with him. She goes to an herbal doctor, Dr Yang, who gives her herbs that, in a variety of ways, help her in her voyage of self-discovery.

I'm a keen fan of Woody Allen but hopefully not to the point where I can't call a dog a dog! This film is not a dog, but it is certainly very lifeless and dull, despite the imaginative plot device of Dr Yang's herbs. For one thing it is very difficult indeed to really care for Alice or her friends. Usually Allen manages to get over this by making them witty, deeper characters of just having his film move slickly. Here he can't get the pace up nor does he manage to give Alice anything resembling a real problem - unless you live the self-obsessed type of life she lives, in which case you may disagree. I struggled to really get into the story and it was only made harder by the fact that, although imaginative, the film wasn't really that funny.

The dialogue lacked the sort of imaginative sparkle that Allen films can usually be relied upon to have and it seemed to rely more on character than anything - which was a mistake as they are a fairly unsympathetic lot with more money than problems. Farrow tries her best to win the audience round but I never got more from Alice than a woman going through a midlife crisis of sorts. Mantegna and Hurt are both good actors but here they have nothing really to do and appear hamstrung by their characters. The only time I connected with Alice was when she danced with the ghost of her husband and we hear flashbacks to their marriage - at this point I saw a person. This is mostly due to a good performance by Baldwin in a minor role.

Overall this is typical Allen and I guess fans may love it for that. For me, I really didn't feel the film had any life to it and that it came across as flat and listless. The plot relies on characters who I couldn't either relate to or like, the dialogue isn't as funny as it should be even though the invisibility etc all make it seem more interesting. It's an OK film but I couldn't help but feel disappointed with the whole thing.

This is one of those scatter gun films that kept me attending throughout. Of course, it is part of the Woody Allen canon. Mia is rich and has it all, all except a feeling of purpose and happiness. She shops, eats, lives in luxury, and, ultimately, admires more than anything, Mother Teresa. But now we move into the supernatural element, where Keye Luke (number one son) is able to provide her with magical potions, allowing her to observe the lives of those she wishes. It isn't a good thing for her. The man she truly loves and finally gets together with is conflicted and can't make the move forward. Her husband is a total jerk, using her as a prop. I was so pleased with the way this film ended.

Mia Farrow is "Alice" in this 1990 Woody Allen film. Here, Allen borrows from "Juliet of the Spirits" and "Alice in Wonderland" to make a delightful movie about an unhappy woman trying to find herself.

Alice (Farrow) married a wealthy man (William Hurt) and gave up a career in fashion. She has everything - a gorgeous New York apartment, two children, and servants. She spends her time shopping and having beauty treatments. At her kids' school, she meets a man (Joe Mantegna) and is shocked to realize that she's attracted to him. When she goes to a Dr. Yang (Keye Luke) for a back problem, Dr. Yang sees right away that Alice's pain is psychological. He gives her an herb to take.

The herb has an amazing effect on Alice, who then openly flirts with the object of her affection, Joe. Dr. Yang keeps hitting Alice up with potions: one makes her invisible, so she can watch Joe with his psychiatrist ex-wife (Judy Davis); another reunites her with the ghost of her first love (Alec Baldwin). Alice and Joe finally get together. But one of the potions helps her to find something out that she not only didn't know, but that changes her life.

Mia Farrow does a good job as Alice; in my opinion, other than "Rosemary's Baby," she did her best work with Allen. The rest of the cast is good and sail through this film about self-discovery, unrealized goals, and passion. An unsung film of Allen's that deserves more attention.

Mia Farrow excels in this unexpectedly charming fable. I think if people happened upon this movie not knowing it was a Woody Allen film, they would be more than pleased with it. Knowing it is Woody, maybe many fans hold it to a higher standard. True, it's not anywhere near being his funniest or greatest film. But I think it is a well-cast, well-shot, well-produced, and even well-written tale. Knowing it's history, I was not expecting to like it nearly as much as I did. But I did, and I look forward to seeing it again. Mia really is underrated as an actress, isn't she?