ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE

Cole's Rating: ★★★

Director: Martin Scorsese

Year: 1974

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter III

Genre: Drama/Romance

MPAA Rating: PG

         Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore marks the fourth time director Martin Scorsese left his mark on the world of cinema with a feature film. But, he hadn’t left his true mark quite yet, seeing as he had much more success to come, and this is one of his lesser known films.

        Ellen Burstyn won an Oscar starring as Alice, the 35-year old widow whose odyssey to find happiness is chronicled in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her performance was realistic enough, but like the rest of the film’s presentation, was too light hearted for the actual deep material. But viewers who aren’t looking for something too dramatic will be satisfied, because otherwise, it’s pretty enjoyable.

        Its best aspect by far is her relationship with her precocious, ADHD like 10-year old son, which makes me think of the plot line as his adventure too (they shared the same amount of screen time). Several scenes displayed their trouble with the dynamic living conditions, and anger, while other scenes displayed their giddiness, and unconditional happiness. Such scenes include her desperate search for him after she angrily thrusts him out of the car (not moving, of course) due to his misbehavior; the happy scenes include water fights in their temporary apartment. You won’t cry (like I said, it’s not dramatic enough), but you’ll still empathize, and laugh a whole bunch, if you can understand relationships with children.

        If you’re looking for a Gangs of New York, or Taxi Driver, you won’t get it here. No, what Scorsese has given us is a well-crafted, real-life story, that isn’t supposed to be taken too seriously, but is supposed to be enjoyed.

-Written by Cole Pollyea