Alice

I think Woody Allen's 'Alice' is one of his most under-rated creations. This movie comes from his glory days before the scandal with his adopted daughter eclipsed his U.S. career.

Here is vintage Woody. A fecund imagination married to a masterful story-telling talent.

Like 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' (his masterpiece in my estimation) this is pure fantasy and it is delightful. Mia Farrow has done nothing finer, equal to her portrayal in Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby' though of a completely different genre.

The little socio-political messages do not interfere with what is otherwise a nifty little love story between Alice and Joe Mantagna. Things don't quite work out in the end, as is usual in a Woody movie, but they are on the border of real-life possibility and add the bittersweet note that he is so good at.

I love this movie. It is not one of his rocking comedies like 'Broadway Danny Rose' but is a sweet vignette. It has overtones of 'Diary of Mad Housewife' but with a happier ending, for the housewife anyway.

The scenes with Keye Luke, Alice's magical Eastern physician are subtle and funny. The fantasy scenes with Alec Baldwin's dead lover and the wonderful Bernadette Peters' muse are enchanting. Peters' Bronx-like muse is especially funny.

Don't miss it.