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Synopsis:
A journalist (Rüdiger Vogler) with writer’s block tries to help an abandoned girl (Yella Rottländer) find her grandmother’s home in Germany.
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Review:
A cross-Atlantic road trip with metaphorical underpinnings, Wim Wenders’ Alice in the Cities is a remarkable gem of a movie. It features excellent performances by both young Yella Rottländer (whose face clearly registers her shifts in emotions) and Vogler; their characters mature and grow throughout the course of the film, but without great fanfare or insistence. This is an independent film of the highest caliber, a story told exactly how it may very well have happened rather than with artificial resolutions. It’s a treat to watch Alice and Phil’s journey — and their unusual friendship, which never smacks of anything unsavory — unfolding.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
- Rüdiger Vogler as the free-spirited yet soul-searching journalist
- Yella Rottländer’s remarkably natural performance as the nine-year-old “orphan”
- The gradually emerging friendship between Phil and Alice
- Many moments of poignancy and humor
- Beautiful, contemplative black-and-white cinematography of America, Amsterdam, and Germany
Must See?
Yes. This early film by Wim Wenders definitely deserves a release on DVD.
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Posted on January 9th, 2007 by admin
Filed under: Original Reviews
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