Alice (1990)

Director: Woody Allen

Writer: Woody Allen

Composer: None.

Starring: Mia Farrow, Joe Mantegna, William Hurt, June Squibb, Marceline Hugot, Dylan O'Sullivan Farrow, Matthew H. Williamson, Julie Kavner, Keye Luke, Judy Davis, Cybill Shepherd, Alec Baldwin, Blythe Danner, James Toback, Bernadette Peters, Elle Macpherson, Bob Balaban

More info: IMDb

Tagline: A younger man and a bolder woman

Plot: Alice Tate, mother of two, with a marriage of 16 years, finds herself falling for the handsome sax player, Joe. Stricken with a backache, she consults Dr. Yang, an oriental herbalist who realizes that her problems are not related to her back, but in her mind and heart. Dr. Yang's magical herbs give Alice wondrous powers, taking her out of well-established rut.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

I love Woody Allen films.  They're refreshing.  The pacing, the witty banter, the great bouncy, jazzy soundtracks, the performances and delightful actor...the works.  He's got a unique voice that's distinctly his and no one can compare to him.  Thing is, I've only seen a handful of his pictures that he's made in the past twenty years.  I'm more familiar with the first half of his career.  He made some of the funniest films of the 70s but the funny never stopped.  He's written and directed nearly one film a year since 1966.  Chew on that for a minute.  Like a lot of his output in the past thirty plus years, ALICE is a light comedy romance with lots of funny and unexpected, quirky moments.  Mia Farrow embodies Alice like no once else could. She's fun.  With any Woody Allen picture, the cast is great.  I love the songs and the frequent use of absurdity like with Alice's meetings with Dr. Yang and her magical interludes.  It's a funny film.  Gee, how I wish I were rich and lived in New York City, playing out my fun-filled days existing in a Woody Allen picture...Sigh.