Wonderland (1999)

A very special film

Only watch this film if you have experienced a profound sense of loneliness at some point in your life.

The storyline isn't anything special, but the STUNNING performances will pull you in. The musical score adds infinite emotion. This film is a small slice of life, and can be a bit too morose for some.

December 26, 2006

a slice of real life

It aint no Hollywood glamour film.Some reviewers have deemed too morose but it is life in the real world, whether it's London,New York or Hamilton.Working class life is a struggle for survival wherever you live.This is a family surviving life in London.Both Gina Mckee and Shirley Henderson are great in their roles.And the ending-Awww,it's gorgeous.Well worth viewing. June 25, 2006

Just too morose

This is one of those "small" films that I want to like. But like many "realistic" portrayals of working class London, it is just too morose. Every one of the characters is wallowing in unhappiness. The film is very well made, and you can empathize with several of the characters, but this is too much of a downer. This version of working class life has been done too many times before. "Realistic" need not always mean "depressing." Think about seeing "Me and You and Everyone We Know" instead. December 23, 2005

Michael Winterbottom and the compassionate gaze

Like the more recent film Code 43, Wonderland is marked by director Michael Winterbottom's realist style. The grainy images of London don't have a tourist brochure look, but they do give you a sense of what it's really like to live there. The characters (three very different sisters and their extended family) are well drawn and compelling, easy to identify with despite their flaws. The strong musical score supports the emotive impact of the film, expressing what the dialogue omits. Overall one is left with the feeling of having looked with compassion into the lives of real people, perhaps gaining insight into one's own situation in the process. The film raises some interesting issues about gender relations, with male characters getting pretty rough treatment and not always deserving it. August 12, 2005

Worth viewing.

Britain is captured here in a very delicate, very introspective way. Three sisters battle depression, loneliness, and disgruntled lives. They are trying to make the best of their world without losing sight of themselves. Michael Winterbottom scores well here in this view of life in the seemingly normal streets of London. In the end, they will tackle the pains of one-night stands, the darkness of trying to find purpose, and the grief of watching a loved-one go AWOL.

A good watch if you have time. If not, try something else.

*also of note, a great film score helped bring this movie up a few notches. August 10, 2005

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