First off - ALICE is actually a strinkingly interesting film visually, and some people will (justifiably) like it much more than I did. I personally don't really care so much about the ALICE IN WONDERLAND tale, as I haven't read it in probably 20 years and therefore don't remember it very well - I really only picked ALICE up after seeing LITTLE OTIK, liking it, and wanting to see something else from Svankmajer. It's definitely visually stunning interpretation of the ALICE story - it's just a story that I'm personally not all that interested in.
ALICE is the story of a young girl who follows a rabbit around a strange "alternate universe" and has run-ins with several strange characters and environs along the way...
Svankmajer's film is told in narrative, live-action, and stop-motion animation, which makes for a heady blend of styles that works perfectly for the film. Consistent with Carol's story, ALICE has a dark undertone that off-sets some of the "childish" qualities of the story. Svankmajer's use of stop-motion animation and other set-pieces is well-done and artful. The only real reason that I didn't rate the film higher, is that after a while, it all became a bit tedious and I was ready for it to be over. Experimental/Art-house film lovers, or those that REALLY enjoy films like VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS or THE COMPANY OF WOLVES and other such "grown-up" fairy-tale films will probably jizz over this one, and granted - it is a VERY cool film for what it is - but it really isn't the type of thing that interests me all that much...but there's no denying that Svankmajer is an interesting and original director and I'd recommend ALICE in order to make up your own mind about it.
ALICE is the story of a young girl who follows a rabbit around a strange "alternate universe" and has run-ins with several strange characters and environs along the way...
Svankmajer's film is told in narrative, live-action, and stop-motion animation, which makes for a heady blend of styles that works perfectly for the film. Consistent with Carol's story, ALICE has a dark undertone that off-sets some of the "childish" qualities of the story. Svankmajer's use of stop-motion animation and other set-pieces is well-done and artful. The only real reason that I didn't rate the film higher, is that after a while, it all became a bit tedious and I was ready for it to be over. Experimental/Art-house film lovers, or those that REALLY enjoy films like VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS or THE COMPANY OF WOLVES and other such "grown-up" fairy-tale films will probably jizz over this one, and granted - it is a VERY cool film for what it is - but it really isn't the type of thing that interests me all that much...but there's no denying that Svankmajer is an interesting and original director and I'd recommend ALICE in order to make up your own mind about it.