Alice (1990) - 3 stars out of 10

Alice (1990) - 3 stars out of 10

"Alice" was a big disappointment.  I love Woody Allen's films but this one just missed its mark.  This women's journey of self-discovery is about as far from the Alice in Wonderland story as it can be.  Perhaps with a different expectation, I would have enjoyed this film but Netflix lied and I was waiting for the modern, real-world take on Lewis Caroll's story.  While Mia Farrow's mischievous adventures involve magic (like disappearing and a love potion), I would have never known that this was a play on Alice in Wonderland.  And then I probably would have enjoyed the story.  The film does teach a few important lessons about entering into a marriage for superficial reasons but much of the film is dull.  Woody Allen's humor is at its finest when a love potion accidentally causes a bunch of strangers (including Bob Balaban) to fall in love with and court Alice at a Christmas party.  Even though I didn't like the film, it was worth watching just to discover this scene.  This film might be worth a try, but don't spend the entire time searching for parallels to Lewis Carroll.