Alice in Wonderland

I went to see Alice in Wonderland with my roommates yesterday and LOVED it! By the time it actually came out, I wasn't very excited about it. I felt like there was a little too much hype. I personally have never read the book, and was never a huge fan of the film when I was little. It was never one of my favorite Disney movies. That said, I really liked the story. I really liked that Linda Woolverton was able to take the familiar tale and create something new.

For the most part, the cast was excellent. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter completely stole the film. Johnny Depp was especially amazing. He brought multiple dimensions to the Mad Hatter that I had never considered before. He created much more of a three-dimensional character than I think anyone else could have. Carter was adorable. When compared to Anne Hathaway's portrayal of the White Queen, I actually found myself rooting for the Red Queen instead. Matt Lucas was also really good. I have enjoyed just about everything that I have ever seen him in, and am really happy that he is becoming better-known.

The rest of the characters were all cast really well. Even though I looked up the cast list prior to seeing the film, I found myself getting lost while watching it. Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry were all especially good. Aside from Anne Hathaway, the only character that I wasn't really impressed with was Alice. I haven't seen Mia Wasikowska in anything else, and she was okay, but I did not find myself really identifying with her or really rooting for her during the film. I feel like that is kind of necessary, especially for a character like Alice.

Despite any problems that I may have had with certain actors or characters, I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Shooting the Past and A Real Summer

I recently saw two more Stephen Poliakoff films (click here to see my Poliakoff post). A Real Summer is the third in a series that includes Joe's Palace and Capturing Mary. It is a short film with two characters. Ruth Wilson reprises her role as Mary Gilbert, but also plays Geraldine. She was magnificent. She really is a wonderful actress. I found myself forgetting that she was not two different people. She really did become each character.

Shooting that Past came out in 1999 (eight years before A Real Summer). Many of Poliakoff's films deal with family secrets and general themes dealing with the past. This film focuses on an enormous collection of photographs. These photographs and the people in charge of them hold their own secrets. It has a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Lindsay Duncan, Timothy Spall, Liam Cunningham, and Emilia Fox.

These two films are definitely must-sees. I would suggest first watching Capturing Mary, then Joe's Palace, and finally A Real Summer. I am not sure how the companion pieces were originally supposed to be watched, but that is the order in which I watched them. I hope you enjoy!