Movie · 1990 · Fantasy, Drama, Romance, Comedy · 1h 42m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 3.4/10 (28.5K ratings)
A younger man and a bolder woman
Overview
Alice Tate, mother of two, with a marriage of 16 years, finds herself falling for a handsome sax player, Joe. Stricken with a backache, she consults herbalist Dr. Yang, 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 her well-established rut.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.4/10
IMDb: 6.6/10
Letterboxd: 3.33/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
Metacritic: 67
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Woody Allen
Production
Orion Pictures, Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions
Cast
Mia Farrow, William Hurt, Joe Mantegna, Alec Baldwin, Blythe Danner, Judy Davis, Keye Luke, Bernadette Peters, Cybill Shepherd, Holland Taylor, Gwen Verdon, Patrick O'Neal, Marceline Hugot, Dylan Farrow, Rachel Miner, Elle Macpherson, David Spielberg, June Squibb, Caroline Aaron, Julie Kavner
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A light, whimsical mid-career Woody Allen fantasy with a strong Mia Farrow performance, but the movie is uneven and can feel shapeless. Its charm comes from the magical-realist premise, Manhattan texture, and romantic self-discovery; its weakness is that the concept sometimes feels more clever than fully developed.
Best for
fans of whimsical romantic fantasy
viewers who like Manhattan-set neurotic comedies
people interested in magical realism in adult drama
Mia Farrow admirers
audiences open to loose, episodic storytelling
Skip if
you want tightly plotted storytelling
you dislike Woody Allen’s mannered dialogue and sensibility
you prefer fantasy with high stakes or strong world-building
you need consistently sharp comedy
you are looking for a deeply moving romance
Overview
Alice is one of those films that feels like a mood first and a story second. It starts with a familiar bourgeois malaise and then drifts into magical-realist wish fulfillment, using supernatural herbs as a comic device and a form of emotional therapy. Mia Farrow gives the film its center: restless, elegant, and quietly funny as a woman waking up from domestic inertia.
Worth noting
The movie has a pleasant, jazzy flow and some appealing Manhattan atmosphere, but it never quite becomes as incisive or as emotionally rich as its premise suggests. The episodic structure can make it feel scattered, and the jokes land unevenly. Still, there’s a breezy charm in watching the film treat desire, guilt, and self-invention as interchangeable parts of the same daydream.
Bottom line
If you like romantic comedies that wander into fantasy and self-examination, it’s worth a look. If you need a firmer narrative engine, this one may feel slight. It’s more intriguing as a curio in Allen’s filmography than as a fully satisfying classic.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Adam Forrest (3.5★) · 145 likes
It all began with a stye. In real life, Woody Allen was having a problem with recurring styes around his eyes, and he heard about an acupuncturist operating out of a dingy place in downtown Manhattan, where all the New York society ladies went with their problems. He went there as a kind of Hail Mary attempt to fix his eye and, … , well, I won’t spoil the rest. It’s a good story, and you can read it as… more It all began with a stye. In real life, Woody Allen was having a problem with recurring styes around his eyes, and he heard about an acupuncturist operating out of a dingy place in downtown Manhattan, where all the New York society ladies went with their problems. He went there as a kind of Hail Mary attempt to fix his eye and, … , well, I won’t spoil the rest. It’s a good story, and you can read it as… more
Slig001 (3★) · 98 likes
My key observation of Woody Allen's filmography is that the best films are well known, and the lesser known ones are lesser known for a reason. This lesser known Woody Allen film focuses on the title character. She's treading water in a deadbeat marriage and has her head turned by a local saxophone player, which leads to her finding out about herself thanks to the talents of Eastern herbalist Dr Yang. The film is basically a mix of Allen's usual… more My key observation of Woody Allen's filmography is that the best films are well known, and the lesser known ones are lesser known for a reason. This lesser known Woody Allen film focuses on the title character. She's treading water in a deadbeat marriage and has her head turned by a local saxophone player, which leads to her finding out about herself thanks to the talents of Eastern herbalist Dr Yang. The film is basically a mix of Allen's usual… more
B E R T (3.5★) · 69 likes
Oh how I long to be fabulous and rich Manhattan Mia Farrow spending her days getting fabulous manicures, crushing on fabulous younger men, shopping in fabulous stores and lounging around her fabulous apartment. She has my dream life in this movie. Just fabulous.
Travis Lytle (3★) · 57 likes
Another slow-rolling yet jazzy outing punctuated by a fine cast and eye-catching visuals, Woody Allen's "Alice" is a solid, charming piece of work. Its semi-restrained sensibilities keep everything low-key, but the film works in its own quiet way.
Focusing on Mia Farrow's Alice, the film revolves around series of Chinese herb-inspired adventures taking place while the protagonist questions her marriage. Developing feelings for another man, Alice tries to keep things in perspective and under control. The narrative offers a classic… more
foose (4.5★) · 45 likes
mia farrow taking a few hits from a giant wooden weed pipe in a magic herbalist’s apartment and then laying down and falling asleep on the floor is where we’re all trying to get